Habitat

Seals are marine animals that live in the sea. There are seventeen different kinds of seals but most live in the artics. The group ranges in size. The Ringed Seal measures 4 feet long and weighs about 140 pounds. The Northern Seal Elephant may grow to be 20 feet and weigh up to 4 tons. Seals have a temperature that remains the same all the time. They have hair or fur. Mother seals bear live young which they nurse with milk and care until the young can take care of themselves. Two groups that are only distantly related (seals and sea lions) are often confused. However, there are a few ways to tell them apart. First, true seals do not have ears on the outside. They simply have small holes that lead to their ear. These holes close when the seals go under water. Sea lions, however, have small ear flaps instead. Also, sea lions have nails on their flippers and seals don't. Some sea lions have spots and most seals have plain skin in different colors. Both seals and sea lions have whiskers like cats. Another difference is that sea lions have shorter snouts than seals. Both seals and sea lions have a thick layer of fat on their bodies. This layer is called blubber.