Where do brown fur seals live?
These subspecies are very similar in behavior and genetics, but they occupy separate ranges. One obvious difference between them is the Cape fur seal's larger crest.
The brown seal, also known as the African seal, is a marine mammal found off the coast of South Africa and Australia. It is the largest and most powerful seal species.
Brown seals have a thick brown fur coat and a strong, streamlined body adapted for swimming. They feed mainly on fish, squid, and crustaceans, and dive deep to hunt prey.
The brown seal is a large species of seal native to Australia and South Africa. Adult males are light brown to brown in color with a dark brown belly, and have a mane around the neck and shoulders that becomes lighter with age. Females are brown but still have a dark brown belly. The head of an adult male is larger and broader than that of a female, with a low forehead, which the female does not have. Both males and females have pointed snouts, long whiskers, small ears, and forward-facing nostrils.
The brown seal is the largest and most powerful seal. It has a large, broad head with a pointed snout that can be flat or slightly upturned. They have external ear flaps (pinnae) and their whiskers (vibraciae) are long, and especially in adult males, may extend back behind the toes. The front flippers are covered with sparse fur for about three-quarters of their length. The toes are small in proportion to their large body, with small, fleshy tips on the toes. The size and weight of the brown seal depend on the subspecies. The South African subspecies is on average slightly larger than the Australian subspecies. Males of the African subspecies (A. p. pusillus) average 2.3 m (7.5 ft) and weigh 200–300 kg (440–660 lb). Females are smaller, averaging 1.8 m (6 ft) and 120 kg (260 lb). Males of the Australian subspecies (A. p. doriferus) are 2–2.2 m (6 ft 7 in) and weigh 190–280 kg (440–660 lb). Females are 1.2–1.8 m (4 ft 6 in) and weigh 36–110 kg (76–260 lb). Adult brown seals are dark gray to brown in color, with a short, dark mane, coarse hair, and a light belly, while adult females are light brown to gray with a lighter throat, back, and belly. The seals' fronts are dark brown to black. Pups are born black and molt within three to five months with a yellow throat. The African subspecies has a large crest on the skull between the mastoid process and the cervical process of the exoccipital.
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