The great diversity of Nature surprises us every day. This can range from studying the amazing behavior of elephants, to the curious (and interested) socialization of little cats, to the discovery of a new species of snake with a name that will please Hollywood fans. But certain animals, a little less known than others, offer their share of equally incongruous surprises. Like the identity of the individual hiding behind this skull.
© The zoology of the voyage of the H.M.S. Erebus & Terror, under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, during the years 1839 to 1843. By authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty – NHM
That you have long teeth…
Instinctively, the word “dinosaur” is not far away when we look at the image/drawing that comes to us from the manifesto The Zoology of the voyage of the H.M.S. Erebus & Terror, Under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross which can be found on the Natural History Museum (NHM) website. But that’s not the case at all. The creature hiding behind these pencil strokes is indeed our contemporary. A little hint before revealing the answer to you, it is obviously not perceptible in France, although we could, wrongly, bet, at the sight of these sharp teeth, on a common gray wolf.
And why not a bear? It must be said that the size of the skull and the shape of the teeth can be a good indicator for betting on the big Teddy. But this is not the case, even if the teeth are more or less the same size. If you bet on the latter, you are a little far away but you already have a clue: it is a carnivore. The difference is that our suspect does not live on land but in marine… even icy environments.
A marine animal and a bit feline!
No more mysteries! We are looking for a carnivorous, imposing animal with strong teeth that knows how to swim very well. The individual represented is none other than a leopard seal ! An imposing seal that can measure almost 4.5 m and still weigh almost 500 kg. But what stands out the most is its teeth, which are particularly well equipped and which are used on hunted penguins who, unfortunately, have little chance of survival.
But what is the relationship between a feline and a seal? You have to concentrate a little and you will be able to see small dark spots on its body, reminiscent of the unique coats of Asian big cats. The leopard seal has earned a reputation as a ferocious animal, even within its own family. THE NHM reports to us, via a study published in the British Ecological Society, this chilling fact about him: “Massive predation by leopard seals is believed to play a significant role in reducing the growth of some fur seal populations. Experts also estimate that up to 78% of crabeater seals over one year old have injuries or scars from leopard seal attacks.”
© Tarpan – Shutterstock
A brutal predatory technique
Although the appearance of the leopard seal is obviously reminiscent of that of the harbor seal, its method of feeding may leave you cold. Perceived as aggressive,Hydrurga leptonyx from its vernacular name loves penguins, has a rather astonishing feeding technique. The NHM testifies to this on its website and in its dedicated sheet: “Seals also lack cutting teeth, which carnivores like lions and hyenas use to cut their prey into pieces that can be swallowed. Leopard seals then have to shake and shake their prey to break it up. Holding one end, they quickly throw their prey in an arc above their head, smashing it on the surface of the water until it breaks.”
Nature here shows us her other face, she can sometimes be difficult to look at. The estimate of the number of leopard seal individuals in the natural state is between 18,000 and 440,000. A range that is complicated to reduce due to the difficult long-term observation of this unique animal.
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