Pinninpeds this Week

Pinniped Printouts Pinnipeds (Order Carnivora) are fin-footed marine mammals who live mostly in the water but spend some time on land or ice (usually to reproduce or rest). Pinnipeds include the seals, sea lions, and walrus; there are 33 species of pinnipeds alive today. Pinnipeds are found in polar, sub-polar and temperate waters. Pinniped means “Fin Foot” in Latin. There are three families of pinnipeds, including: Phocidae (true seals, with no visible ear flaps) Otariidae (eared seals, including the fur seals and sea lions) Odobenidae (the walrus). Pinnipeds have a thick layer of insulating blubber that keeps them warm in cold water. They also have more blood (per weight) than most other mammals, keeping them well-supplied with oxygen during long underwater dives. This allows these carnivores (meat-eaters) to hunt for their oceanic prey. Their diet includes fish, crustaceans, birds, and krill. Pinnipeds are hunted by polar bears, killer whales, sharks, and man.