Previous reports stating the leopard seal skins its prey before feeding have been found to be incorrect. Lacking the teeth necessary to slice its prey into manageable pieces, it flails its prey from side to side tearing and ripping it into smaller pieces.

Leopard seals have unique cheek teeth that are shaped to allow them to strain krill from the water. Their loose jaw can open as far as 160 degrees. These seals swim so fast they can "jump" out of the sea onto the edge of the ice to get prey such as penguins.

Since leopard seals themselves are apex predators, they are always on top of the Antarctic food chain. However, their only known natural predator is the orca or the killer whale. They have a thick layer of fat under the skin called the ‘blubber,’ which …

The leopard seal is a carnivorous mammal known for its slender body and powerful jaws. Their exceptionally sharp teeth and impressive speed has allowed them to develop into one of the top predators in the Antarctic.

The teeth structure of leopard seals indicates their diverse range of prey items – as they not only have sharp and large canines for grasping prey such as penguins, but they have remarkably tri-lobulated teeth that are used to filter krill.

Leopard seals use their powerful jaws and long teeth to kill smaller seals, fish, and squid. These effective predators live in frigid Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, where they also eat...

2025年1月24日 · leopard seal, (Hydrurga leptonyx), generally solitary, earless seal (family Phocidae) that inhabits Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. The only seal that feeds on penguins, young seals, and other warm-blooded prey, the leopard seal is a slender animal with a relatively long head and long, three-cusped cheek teeth.

Leopard seals have large, strong foreflippers that they use for propulsion, steering, and capturing prey. Unlike sea lions, leopard seals cannot rotate their back flippers forward, so they move on land using a “galumphing” motion , much like other true seals.

The second-largest of the Antarctic seals, leopard seals are solitary apex predators and formidable hunters. Capable of traveling at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), they are the only species of seal known to actively prey on both penguins and seal pups, including crabeater, Weddell, Ross, southern elephant and ...

With their broad heads, powerful jaws, and sharp teeth, Leopard Seals are highly adapted for hunting and capturing prey. Their fur coloration ranges from dark gray to black with distinctive spots along their back, resembling those of a leopard, hence their name.