The leopard seal is named for its black-spotted coat. The pattern is similar to that of the famous big cat, although the seal’s coat is gray rather than yellow.
Source: BBC Earth
Hunting skills
This seal is sometimes called a sea leopard, and is more like a seal than a worm. As the feline name suggests, leopard seals are ferocious predators. They are the most formidable predators of all seals and are the only species that feed on warm-blooded prey, such as other seal species. Leopard seals use their strong jaws and long teeth to kill seals, fish and smaller squid.
These efficient predators live in the icy waters of Antarctica and sub-Antarctica, where they also feed on penguins. They usually wait underwater near the ice shelf and catch the birds as soon as they get into the water after jumping off the ice. They can also burrow under seabirds perched on the surface of the water and snap them into their jaws.
Shellfish are a less dramatic prey item but are still an important part of the leopard seal’s diet.
Compared with other seals
Leopard seals are seals without ears. They have long bodies (10 to 11.5 feet) and elongated heads. Like most seals, leopard seals are insulated from icy waters by a thick layer of fat known as blubber.
Although the leopard seal is known for its coat, it is not commercially hunted for its skin like its fur seal relative.
