Earless 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/earless-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?Phocidae
2. What is the habitat?Circumpolar distribution in Arctic and temperate oceans; diverse coastal and pelagic environments
3. What makes earless seals special compared to other seals?Earless seals have no external ears; instead, their ears are covered by muscular flaps that seal shut underwater, helping them swim smoothly and keep water out.
4. How do earless seals stay warm in freezing ocean water?They have a thick layer of blubber that can be up to 30% of their body weight, which keeps them warm and also stores energy for times when they fast.

Piscivorous: An animal whose diet consists mainly of fish.
Teuthophagous: An animal whose diet consists mainly of cephalopods, such as squid and octopus.
Hydrodynamics: The study of how water moves and how objects move through water.
Trophic Levels: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationships.