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Animal profile

Southern Elephant Seal

Mirounga leonina

MammaliaSouthern Ocean waters and sub-Antarctic island beachesLeast Concern

Field profile

The southern elephant seal is the largest living carnivoran, with adult males reaching several tonnes and dwarfing females. Bulls fight for control of beach harems during the austral spring. Outside the breeding and moulting seasons the seals disperse widely across the Southern Ocean on long foraging trips.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-03-17

Southern Elephant Seal

The largest carnivoran alive is a seal

Adult male southern elephant seals can exceed four metres and weigh several tonnes, far more than any bear or big cat. The sexual size difference is among the most extreme in mammals, with bulls several times the mass of the females they guard.

Read with evidence →

Southern Elephant Seal | Daily Animal Facts