| Earless Seals | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Genera | ||||||||||||||
|
Monachus Mirounga Lobodon Leptonychotes Hydrurga Ommatophoca Erignathus Phoca Halichoerus ''Cystophora | ||||||||||||||
The true seals or earless seals are one of the two main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae. They are sometimes called crawling seals, to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of family Otariidae.
Phocids are the more highly specialized for aquatic life of the two groups and, unlike otariids, lack external ears and cannot bring their hind flippers under their body to walk on them.
They are even more agile in the water than fur seals and sea lions. However, because they cannot turn their hind flippers downward, they are very clumsy on land because they have to wriggle with their front flippers and abdominal muscles; this method of locomotion is called gallumphing.
- 'SUBORDER PINNIPEDIA
- Family Otariidae: fur seals and sea lions
- Family Phocidae
- Hawaiian Monk Seal, Monachus schauinslandi
- Mediterranean Monk Seal, ''Monachus monachus
- Northern Elephant Seal, Mirounga angustirostris
- Southern Elephant Seal, Mirounga leonina
- Crabeater Seal, Lobodon carcinophagus
- Weddell Seal, Leptonychotes weddellii
- Leopard Seal, Hydrurga leptonyx
- Ross Seal, Ommatophoca rossi
- Bearded Seal, Erignathus barbatus
- Harbor Seal or Common Seal, Phoca vitulina
- Spotted Seal, Phoca largha
- Ringed Seal, Phoca hispida
- Nerpa or Baikal Seal, Phoca sibirica
- Caspian Seal, Phoca caspica
- Harp Seal, Phoca groenlandica
- Ribbon Seal, Phoca fasciata
- Gray Seal, Halichoerus grypus
- Hooded Seal, ''Cystophora cristata'
- Family Odobenidae: Walrus
