Scientific name: Mirounga leonina
Common local name:
elefante marino
There exist two species of elephant seals, the southern (Mirounga
leonina) and the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris).
They are the largest member of all the pinniped species (seals, sea
lions and walruses).
A striking characteristic of elephant seals is that they show
one of the most pronounced sexual dimorphisms.
Males, unlike females, have
a large proboscis and a large size, being the reasons for their name
‘elephant’. They attain lengths up to 6m and can weight up to 4 tons
whereas females weight up to 10 times less, averaging between 400 -
900kg and attaining lengths only up to 3m.
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