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Pinnipeds

Difference between eared seals and true seals

Pinnipeds include the walruses, the true seals and the eared seals. Everyone should know what a walrus looks like, but some people have a difficult time telling the difference between true seals and eared seals. Just look at the sides of their heads. If they have external earflaps, then they are eared seals. Eared seals also have long front flippers which they use to push themselves through the water, just like we do when we go swimming. Their hind flippers are used for steer in the water, but they can also rotate underneath their body, so they can walk on all fours. This makes them extremely mobile on land.

True seals, on the other hand, have much shorter front flippers and their hind flippers do not rotate under them, so when they walk onland, they crawl.

Animal Info Photo © Matt L.

Eared or true seals?

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