elephant - it is very interesting animals.They are warm-blooded, and mammals, are perfectly adapted to life in water - instead of the clutches of their fins, body shape is streamlined, the big layer of fat prevents freezing in cold water, rough skin and stiff wool also contribute to the preservation of heat - but at the same time it is vitalyou need to spend some time on land, where they are awkward and clumsy fat men.
addition to lifestyle of these animals, it is extremely interesting and origin of the name of their species.After all, the phrase "elephant" is in most association with something huge and majestic, but the real elephant seals almost do not exceed the size of the seal.Why are these funny animals got its name?
In fact, the elephant was so named not because of the impressive size, but because of the skin fold located on the face of the animal, and resembling a trunk.That is why the description of the elephant information about the elephant land is almost useless.This "trunk" is not very large - about 10 centimeters - but, when the animal is experiencing a period of emotional stress may increase.
In nature, there are two types of elephant: the north and south.The main difference between the two is their natural habitat and sizes.
Northern elephant seals on the west coast of America, and many coastal states consider it their animal attraction and use it to attract tourists.But it is now that these animals are protected by law.
In the past, the same, and very near, these beasts mercilessly slaughtered hunters, and by the end of the twentieth century they were almost gone.However, once the elephant seals were declared a protected species, their population has increased dramatically.
size of these animals is not very large: males can reach a weight of 2.7 tons, and the weight of females - only 900 kg.
Habitat southern elephant much more great: it extends to the coast of Antarctica, New Zealand, Patagonia, southern Africa and Australia.The size of the southern elephant seal as well ahead of its northern counterpart: males can reach a weight of 3.5 tons, length - 6 m, weight of females - 1.5 tons, length - 3 meters.
features of these animals are very high: they are able to go without air for about 40 minutes, diving to a depth of half a kilometer, and swim without resting for about 5 000 kilometers.
The rest of these two species of elephant seals are very similar, are almost the same lifestyle, the same raise cubs.
So all elephant seals - predators, they feed on fish and squid caught - are clumsy on land, in water, these animals turned into quick and tireless hunter.Life expectancy elephant - 20 years.
Considerable period of his life elephant seals spend in the water, hunting, eating, and evolving.To relax, they crawl to the shore, where satisfied maturation.But during mating locally familiar rookeries males arrange these tournaments - so they set up a hierarchy.During this period, personal strength is very important for elephant seals, because the great rivals won the male, the more he will have a harem - the strongest can gather around him a hundred females.
After building a hierarchy of males mate with their females, pregnancy lasting 11 months.A couple of weeks before the birth the females swim on their rookery, where give birth to one cub.
Education offspring at sea elephants is only females.Mom feeds the baby for a month with her milk, will not directly from him and eating only fat accumulated over the year.By the way, the milk of these animals include mammals, most fat - about 50% fat.A month later, the mother goes in search of food and always leaves her baby, who now has to survive on their own.
month spent on breast milk, young elephant seal grow strongly and accumulate large amounts of fat, allowing them to survive in the first month of independent life.Two years later, the young animals reach sexual maturity, and the parents themselves become a new generation of elephant seals.
