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|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File: | |style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Seal-&-toothfish-Jessica-Meir N.jpg|300px]] | ||
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'''[[ | The '''[[Weddell seal]]''' is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding [[Antarctica]]. Weddell seals have the most southerly distribution of any mammal, with a habitat that extends as far south as McMurdo Sound (at 77°S). Because of its abundance, relative accessibility, and ease of approach by humans, it is the best-studied of the Antarctic seals. An estimated 800,000 individuals remain today. Weddell seal pups leave their mothers at a few months of age. In those months, they are fed by their mothers' warming and fat-rich milk. They leave when they are ready to hunt and are fat enough to survive in the harsh weather. Weddell seals commonly consume [[Antarctic toothfish]], [[Antarctic krill]], and [[Glacial squid]]. A sedentary adult eats around 10 kg (22 lb) a day, while an active adult eats over 50 kg (110 lb) a day. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by James Weddell, the British sealing captain, to the parts of the [[Southern Ocean]] now known as the [[Weddell Sea]]. | ||
<p><small>Photographer: | <p><small>Photographer: Jessica Meir</small></p> | ||
[[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']] | [[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']] | ||
<div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;"> | <div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;"> |