We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2021
Elephant seals lead two entirely different lives: one on land and one at sea. The adaptations for feeding at sea, such as blubber for warmth in cold waters, streamlining to reduce drag, and a source of energy to see them through long fasts, impose difficulties on land. It is costly to move their large bodies quickly for any distance on land. Their blubber layer is like a puffy coat that causes overheating on hot days on land. The loss of feet for flippers leaves them vulnerable to fast-moving and agile terrestrial carnivores, which partially explains their historical preferences to breed on islands devoid of bears, wolves, and coyotes. The evolutionary changes in their bodies must be a compromise between what is necessary for successful foraging at sea and breeding and molting on land. For example, elephant seals hold their breath while sleeping on land and during dives at sea.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
