How big does a Leopard seal get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) reaches an average size of 3.05 meter (10′ 0″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 26 years, they grow from 30 kg (66.14 lbs) to 352.84 kg (777.87 lbs). The Leopard seal (genus: Hydrurga) is a member of the family Phocidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the killer whale. It feeds on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds, krill, birds and fish. It is the only species in the genus Hydrurga. Its closest relatives are the Ross seal, the crabeater seal and the Weddell seal, which together are known as the tribe of Lobodontini seals. The name hydrurga means “water worker” and leptonyx is the Greek for “small clawed”.
Animals of the same family as a Leopard seal
We found other animals of the Phocidae family:
- Mediterranean monk seal with a size of 2.6 meter (8′ 7″)
- Ribbon seal with a size of 1.53 meter (5′ 1″)
- Spotted seal with a size of 1.64 meter (5′ 5″)
- Ringed seal with a size of 1.29 meter (4′ 3″)
- Grey seal with a size of 2.08 meter (6′ 10″)
- Crabeater seal with a size of 2.27 meter (7′ 6″)
- Caspian seal with a size of 1.41 meter (4′ 8″)
- Southern elephant seal with a size of 3.69 meter (12′ 2″)
- Ribbon seal with a size of 1.54 meter (5′ 1″)
- Caspian seal with a size of 1.41 meter (4′ 8″)
Animals with the same size as a Leopard seal
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Leopard seal:
- Giant eland with a size of 2.52 meter (8′ 4″)
- African manatee with a size of 3.5 meter (11′ 6″)
- American bison with a size of 2.85 meter (9′ 5″)
- Moose with a size of 2.83 meter (9′ 4″)
- Water buffalo with a size of 2.65 meter (8′ 9″)
- Dugong with a size of 2.55 meter (8′ 5″)
- Common eland with a size of 2.66 meter (8′ 9″)
- European bison with a size of 2.9 meter (9′ 7″)
- Black rhinoceros with a size of 2.85 meter (9′ 5″)
- Sumatran rhinoceros with a size of 2.77 meter (9′ 2″)
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Leopard seal
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Leopard seal:
- White-bellied spider monkey with an average maximal age of 28 years
- Matschie’s tree-kangaroo with an average maximal age of 23.83 years
- Siberian ibex with an average maximal age of 22.25 years
- Greater spot-nosed monkey with an average maximal age of 23 years
- Sambar deer with an average maximal age of 26.42 years
- Allen’s swamp monkey with an average maximal age of 23 years
- Subantarctic fur seal with an average maximal age of 23 years
- Patas monkey with an average maximal age of 23.83 years
- Western barbastelle with an average maximal age of 21 years
- Golden lion tamarin with an average maximal age of 24.75 years
Animals with the same weight as a Leopard seal
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Hydrurga leptonyx:
- Plains zebra with a weight of 400 kilos (881.85 lbs)
- Mediterranean monk seal with a weight of 294.94 kilos (650.23 lbs)
- Horse with a weight of 401.8 kilos (885.82 lbs)
- Risso’s dolphin with a weight of 387.25 kilos (853.74 lbs)
- Malayan tapir with a weight of 309.61 kilos (682.57 lbs)
- Muskox with a weight of 312.67 kilos (689.32 lbs)
- Takin with a weight of 292.76 kilos (645.42 lbs)
- Dugong with a weight of 295 kilos (650.36 lbs)
- Baird’s tapir with a weight of 292.39 kilos (644.61 lbs)
- Steller sea lion with a weight of 383.23 kilos (844.88 lbs)