What is the maximal age a Ross seal reaches?
An adult Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii) usually gets as old as 21 years.
Ross seals are around 325 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 17 kg (37.48 lbs) and measure 5.1 cm (0′ 3″). They are a member of the Phocidae family (genus: Ommatophoca). Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 2.07 meter (6′ 10″).
As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.
The Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii) is a true seal (family Phocidae) with a range confined entirely to the pack ice of Antarctica. It is the only species of the genus Ommatophoca. First described during the Ross expedition in 1841, it is the smallest, least abundant and least well known of the Antarctic pinnipeds. Its distinctive features include disproportionately large eyes, whence its scientific name (Ommato- meaning “eye”, and phoca meaning “seal”), and complex, trilling and siren-like vocalizations. Ross seals are brachycephalic, as they have a short broad muzzle and have the shortest fur of any other seal.
Animals of the same family as a Ross seal
Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Phocidae):
- Baikal seal becoming 56 years old
- Mediterranean monk seal becoming 23.67 years old
- Baikal seal becoming 56 years old
- Harp seal becoming 42 years old
- Leopard seal becoming 26 years old
- Hooded seal becoming 35 years old
- Bearded seal becoming 31.42 years old
- Ringed seal becoming 46 years old
- Hawaiian monk seal becoming 30 years old
- Spotted seal becoming 35.5 years old
Animals that reach the same age as Ross seal
With an average age of 21 years, Ross seal are in good companionship of the following animals:
- Eastern grey kangaroo usually reaching 24 years
- Brown hyena usually reaching 17 years
- South American coati usually reaching 17.67 years
- Townsend’s big-eared bat usually reaching 21.17 years
- Olive baboon usually reaching 25.17 years
- Waterbuck usually reaching 19.92 years
- Eurasian otter usually reaching 22 years
- Goeldi’s marmoset usually reaching 17.83 years
- Tana River mangabey usually reaching 21 years
- Risso’s dolphin usually reaching 20 years
Weighting as much as Ross seal
A fully grown Ross seal reaches around 208.63 kg (459.94 lbs). So do these animals:
- Sable antelope weighting 235.2 kilos (518.53 lbs) on average
- Onager weighting 235.62 kilos (519.45 lbs) on average
- Waterbuck weighting 203.2 kilos (447.98 lbs) on average
- Irrawaddy dolphin weighting 190 kilos (418.88 lbs) on average
- Greater kudu weighting 205.53 kilos (453.12 lbs) on average
- Hawaiian monk seal weighting 223 kilos (491.63 lbs) on average
- White-beaked dolphin weighting 186.82 kilos (411.87 lbs) on average
- Dwarf sperm whale weighting 183 kilos (403.45 lbs) on average
- Melon-headed whale weighting 206 kilos (454.15 lbs) on average
- Lichtenstein’s hartebeest weighting 168 kilos (370.38 lbs) on average
Animals as big as a Ross seal
Those animals grow as big as a Ross seal:
- Pacific white-sided dolphin with 2.21 meter (7′ 3″)
- Arctocephalus forsteri with 1.71 meter (5′ 8″)
- Sable antelope with 2.04 meter (6′ 9″)
- Guadalupe fur seal with 1.71 meter (5′ 8″)
- Atlantic white-sided dolphin with 2.29 meter (7′ 6″)
- Harp seal with 1.72 meter (5′ 8″)
- Greater kudu with 2.2 meter (7′ 3″)
- Takin with 1.74 meter (5′ 9″)
- Juan Fernández fur seal with 1.7 meter (5′ 7″)
- Saola with 1.75 meter (5′ 9″)