Eared seal

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/eared-seal

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Family Otariidae
2. What is the diet?Carnivorous, primarily fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans; varies significantly by species and location
3. What makes eared seals different from other seals?Eared seals have visible ears called pinnae and big, strong front flippers that help them swim fast. They can also walk on land using their hind flippers, which other seals can’t do.
4. How do eared seals swim so quickly?Their front flippers are large and muscular, so they use powerful rowing strokes to move through the water. This gives them great speed and the ability to turn quickly.

Phocids: A group of seals, often called 'true seals,' that lack external ear flaps.
Rookeries: Colonies where seals gather for breeding and pupping.
Bycatch: The unintentional capture of non-target species, such as seals, in fishing gear.
Trophic levels: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationships.