Are Seals Mammals?

Seals are mammals! They possess all the things that make an animal a mammal. They are warm-blooded, they are vertebrates, they have fur, and most of all, the mothers feed their babies with milk expressed through mammary glands.

Indeed, seal milk is some of the richest milk there is. The milk of the hooded seal, for example, is so full of fat that the mother only needs to nurse her baby for two weeks, tops, before it’s independent.

Seals, also called pinnipeds, aren’t just mammals but belong to a special group called marine mammals. These mammals live most of their lives in or near water, especially the ocean. Pinnipeds spend most of their time in the water, hunting for something to eat, but they have to come out on land to give birth, mate, and molt their fur.

This is one of the things that separates them from whales, dolphins, and porpoises, who are completely aquatic and are at risk of death if they are beached.

There are basically three types of pinniped. They are walruses, true seals, which don’t have external ears and need to drag themselves over land or ice, and sea lions, which have external ears and can manage to shuffle around on their flippers.

Walruses, by the way, don’t have fur all over their bodies, but they have so many sensitive whiskers that they’ve inspired a style of human mustache.

The closest living relatives to seals are bears, and seals separated from them about 60 million years ago.

Why Would People Think Seals Are Not Mammals?

It is possible that people think pinnipeds are a type of fish, as some people think that whales and dolphins are types of fish. This is because they have fins and flippers instead of legs and are beautifully adapted for life in the water. But seals aren’t fish, but mammals.

Additionally, commonly confused creatures are also dolphins and porpoises which are are considered to be mammals. Even though these creatures look and seem like fish, they are not and are often confused as such.

Furthermore, dolphins can often be confused with the “dolphinfish” which is indeed, a fish and not a mammal.

Are seals endangered?

One out of five pinniped species is endangered due to reckless hunting, climate change, and pollution. Some pinnipeds are tangled up in nets meant to catch fish or other marine life. Global warming, for example, melts sea ice and makes it harder for them to find a place to haul out.

All pinnipeds such as sea lions, seals, and walruses are protected in U.S. waters under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Human greed has led to the decline of many seals and population. In the past, millions of seals were killed for meat, blubber, and coats. However, seals may be protected in the U.S. but many countries are still killing them in large numbers due to fishing, nets, and pollution.

Warming water doesn’t hold oxygen as well as cold water, and this reduces the abundance of the seal’s prey. Pollution is bad for marine life in general and even the noise made by sea vessels can be damaging. Here are some pinnipeds that are listed as endangered.

• Mediterranean monk seals. There are less than 700 of these animals found in a handful of populations around the Mediterranean Sea. Because of this, it is one of the rarest pinnipeds in the world.
• Ungava seal. This is a rare freshwater seal found in the north of Quebec. Scientists believe there are less than 100 of these animals left.
• Saimaa ringed seal. This animal is another freshwater seal and is only found in Lake Saimaa in Finland. An estimated 400 individuals are left.
• Hawaiian monk seal. This animal is one of two mammals that are endemic to Hawaii. The other is the Hawaiian hoary bat.
• New Zealand sea lion. Also called the whakahao, this large pinniped is one of the rarest sea lions. It is the only species in the Phocarctos genus.
• Australian sea lion. This sea lion, which is also the only species in its genus, is known for its strange breeding cycle.
• Galapagos fur seal. This little seal is the smallest of the fur seals. It is only found in the Galapagos Islands.
• Galapagos sea lion. This sea lion is found both on the Galapagos Islands and less frequently on Isla de la Plata. It is the smallest sea lion.
• Walrus. This charismatic pinniped is famous for its tusks and its huge size. A big male can weigh over two tons. Its conservation status is vulnerable.

Next Up…

• 10 Incredible Harbor Seal Facts – Harbor seals don’t chew their food and have concealed limbs, but what color facts are there? Keep reading to find out!
• 10 Incredible Seal Facts – Baikal seal are the only freshwater seals in the world, find out everything else you need to know about these amazing seals!
• What Do Seals Eat? – Do seals eat fish? What’s on their menu? Click here to read more!