Unlike land animals, a seal’s eyes consist only of rods (sensory cells) that work great in low light, plus they don’t have cones (other sensory cells) to detect color. Seals have flattened corneas and pupils that can open wide to let in light while swimming. Because of a custom-designed mouth and larynx, they can even eat while underwater without sucking sea water!Įver notice how big a seal’s eyes are? That’s another underwater adaptation. And speaking of diving, seals can hold their breath for a very long time… up to two hours for elephant seals. This feature works better than those attractive nose clips we humans wear in diving class. Seals have slits for nostrils that naturally close under water – and they shut even tighter with increased water pressure. Their thick no-neck physiques and loosely interlocked vertebrae make them strong and flexible enough to surf the waves and navigate ice and rocky shores. These aquatic mammals have powerful sleek bodies that are encased in blubber and taper down into a tail. Seals are remarkably adapted to ocean living. Antarctic seals have two homes – one in the surrounding ocean and the other on a cool patch of ice or prime beach-front property. Seals live a schizophrenic lifestyle as both land and sea animals.
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