It is hard to guess what a Crabeater seal weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) on average weights 225 kg (496.04 lbs).
The Crabeater seal is from the family Phocidae (genus: Lobodon). It is usually born with about 20 kg (44.09 lbs). They can live for up to 39 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 2.28 meter (7′ 6″).
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga), also known as the krill-eater seal, is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica. They are medium- to large-sized (over 2 m in length), relatively slender and pale-colored, found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey. They are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. This success of this species is due to its specialized predation on the abundant Antarctic krill of the Southern Ocean, for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure. Indeed, its scientific name, translated as “lobe-toothed (lobodon) crab eater (carcinophaga)”, refers specifically to the finely lobed teeth adapted to filtering their small crustacean prey. Despite its name, crabeater seals do not eat crabs. As well as being an important krill predator, the crabeater seal is an important component of the diet of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), which are responsible for 80% of all crabeater pups deaths.
Animals of the same family as a Crabeater seal
We found other animals of the Phocidae family:
- Baikal seal bringing 89.5 kilos (197.31 lbs) to the scale
- Harbor seal bringing 87.31 kilos (192.49 lbs) to the scale
- Ringed seal bringing 71.1 kilos (156.75 lbs) to the scale
- Caribbean monk seal bringing 198.38 kilos (437.35 lbs) to the scale
- Harp seal bringing 132.25 kilos (291.56 lbs) to the scale
- Spotted seal bringing 99.02 kilos (218.3 lbs) to the scale
- Mediterranean monk seal bringing 294.94 kilos (650.23 lbs) to the scale
- Grey seal bringing 197.29 kilos (434.95 lbs) to the scale
- Crabeater seal bringing 225 kilos (496.04 lbs) to the scale
- Southern elephant seal bringing 1600 kilos (3527.39 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Crabeater seal
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Lobodon carcinophagus:
- Dwarf sperm whale with a weight of 183.07 kilos (403.6 lbs)
- Philippine warty pig with a weight of 189.4 kilos (417.56 lbs)
- White-beaked dolphin with a weight of 186.82 kilos (411.87 lbs)
- South American sea lion with a weight of 194 kilos (427.7 lbs)
- Anoa with a weight of 256 kilos (564.38 lbs)
- Onager with a weight of 235.62 kilos (519.45 lbs)
- Pygmy hippopotamus with a weight of 231 kilos (509.27 lbs)
- Gemsbok with a weight of 187.6 kilos (413.59 lbs)
- Anoa with a weight of 180.86 kilos (398.73 lbs)
- Grey seal with a weight of 197.29 kilos (434.95 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Crabeater seal
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Crabeater seal:
- Bongo (antelope) with a size of 2.27 meter (7′ 6″)
- Pantropical spotted dolphin with a size of 2.14 meter (7′ 1″)
- Asian elephant with a size of 1.92 meter (6′ 4″)
- South American sea lion with a size of 2.11 meter (7′ 0″)
- Ross seal with a size of 2.07 meter (6′ 10″)
- Rough-toothed dolphin with a size of 2.44 meter (8′ 1″)
- Polar bear with a size of 2 meter (6′ 7″)
- Sambar deer with a size of 2.04 meter (6′ 9″)
- Mediterranean monk seal with a size of 2.6 meter (8′ 7″)
- Mountain nyala with a size of 2.25 meter (7′ 5″)
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Crabeater seal
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Crabeater seal:
- Bowhead whale with an average maximal age of 40 years
- Grey-cheeked mangabey with an average maximal age of 32.67 years
- Chacma baboon with an average maximal age of 45 years
- Hamadryas baboon with an average maximal age of 40 years
- Spotted hyena with an average maximal age of 41.08 years
- Ringed seal with an average maximal age of 46 years
- Siamang with an average maximal age of 38 years
- Siamang with an average maximal age of 38 years
- Crabeater seal with an average maximal age of 39 years
- Bearded seal with an average maximal age of 31.42 years