Monday, November 12, 2012

Reproduction/Competition/Population

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J__pZNPpYc8 (Mating)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2HFpgx2Ss4 (Fighting)



     Once mating season comes around male Elephant seals claim there territory. Each male then tries to collect up to 40-50 females. the females are a lot smaller then the males. the males weighing about 8 thousand pounds while the females only about one 2 thousand pounds. males battle each other for females and dominance. the get into deadly wrestling matches standing tall up next to each other and then taking turns pecking each others necks. Roaring and growling are common noises while the elephant seals are duking it out. Although the fights get aggressive and very bloody usually there is no fatality. Besides sexual competition between males, elephant seals have to worry about commercial fishing, as they are taking many fish and squid out of the ocean. this results in less food for the elephant seals. in 1890 because of hunters the total elephant seal population was as few as twenty elephant seals. since then they have made a huge increase in population with more then 100,000 seals.

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