northern elephant seal

E107569

The northern elephant seal is a massive marine mammal of the eastern Pacific known for its extreme sexual dimorphism, deep-diving ability, and large breeding colonies on coastal islands and beaches.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
northern elephant seal canonical 5

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (72)

Predicate Object
instanceOf marine mammal ⓘ
pinniped ⓘ
species of mammal ⓘ
breedingRange Baja California, Mexico ⓘ
linked to: Baja California

California, United States ⓘ
breedingSeason winter ⓘ
breedsOn coastal islands ⓘ
sandy beaches ⓘ
class Mammalia ⓘ
coatColor grayish to brown ⓘ
commonName elephant seal ⓘ
northern elephant seal ⓘ
conservationConcern disturbance at breeding colonies ⓘ
vulnerability to climate change impacts on prey ⓘ
currentPopulationTrend increasing ⓘ
describedBy Theodore Nicholas Gill ⓘ
linked to: Theodore Gill
diet fish ⓘ
rays ⓘ
sharks ⓘ
squid ⓘ
distinguishingFeature large inflatable proboscis in adult males ⓘ
large, forward-facing eyes ⓘ
thick blubber layer ⓘ
diveDepth over 1500 meters ⓘ
diveDuration over 60 minutes ⓘ
family Phocidae ⓘ
femaleBehavior fasts while nursing pups ⓘ
femaleLength about 2.5 to 3.5 meters ⓘ
femaleMass up to about 600 kg ⓘ
foragingHabitat deep pelagic waters ⓘ
genus Mirounga ⓘ
hasRelative southern elephant seal ⓘ
historicalThreat commercial sealing ⓘ
infraorder Pinnipedia ⓘ
IUCNRedListCategorySystem IUCN 3.1 ⓘ
IUCNStatus Least Concern ⓘ
kingdom Animalia ⓘ
lactationLength about 3 to 4 weeks ⓘ
lifespan about 9 to 13 years in the wild ⓘ
locomotion swimming with hind flippers ⓘ
maleBehavior vocal displays and fights for dominance ⓘ
maleLength up to about 4 to 5 meters ⓘ
maleMass up to about 2300 kg ⓘ
matingSystem highly polygynous ⓘ
migrationPattern long-distance biannual migrations ⓘ
nativeTo eastern Pacific Ocean ⓘ
nonBreedingRange open ocean of the North Pacific ⓘ
notableColony Año Nuevo State Park, California ⓘ
Guadalupe Island, Mexico ⓘ
Piedras Blancas, California ⓘ
San Miguel Island, California ⓘ
linked to: San Miguel Island
onLandMovement undulating body and fore flippers ⓘ
order Carnivora ⓘ
phylum Chordata ⓘ
populationStatus19thCentury near extinction ⓘ
primaryPredator great white shark ⓘ
killer whale ⓘ
protectedBy Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ⓘ
various national and state laws in the United States and Mexico ⓘ
pupBirthSeason winter ⓘ
pupRearingStrategy short intensive lactation ⓘ
reproduction single pup per breeding season ⓘ
restBehaviorAtSea sleep during drift dives ⓘ
scientificName Mirounga angustirostris ⓘ
sexualDimorphism extreme ⓘ
socialStructure colonial breeder ⓘ
species Mirounga angustirostris ⓘ
suborder Caniformia ⓘ
taxonRank species ⓘ
thermoregulation use of blubber and peripheral vasoconstriction ⓘ
weaning abrupt ⓘ
yearDescribed 1866 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Channel Islands of California → fauna → northern elephant seal ⓘ
San Nicolas Island → fauna → northern elephant seal ⓘ
Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve → importantForSpecies → northern elephant seal ⓘ
Mirounga angustirostris → commonName → northern elephant seal ⓘ
Gulf of the Farallones → supportsSpecies → northern elephant seal ⓘ