General Description

Upper body fur blue-grey, underneath white to pale grey. Dark and light grey spots on fur. Head flat with the nostrils on top of head. Front flippers long, up to one third of the body length. Up to 3 m long.

Biology

Leopard Seals breed on the ice in Antarctica. They can swim long distances, usually alone.

Humans interactions include:
Can become infected with canine distemper virus from domestic dogs.

Habitat

Open ocean and coastal waters.

Open water

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans. Potentially near Port Phillip, recorded from Victoria.

Species Group

Mammals › Seals

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

Surface Midwater

Max Size

3 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Least Concern