Animal Seals

Seals closest living relatives are bears and musteloids (weasels, raccoons and skunks). Molecular evidence supports them as a monophyletic lineage (descended from one ancestral line).Males live to about 18 years while females live to approximately 24 years. Most species prefer the colder waters of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They spend most of their lives in the water, but come ashore to mate, give birth, molt or escape from predators, like sharks and killer whales. They feed largely on fish and marine invertebrates; but a few, like the leopard seal, feed on large vertebrates, such as penguins and other seals.

NGSE students make a difference!

Brazil's Amazon & Pantanal Biodiversity Conservation: Our students described the thrill of piranha fishing in the Amazon, snorkeling in the rivers of the Pantanal floodplains, and venturing into the Atlantic Forest to collect data on golden lion tamarins

Bolivia

Llamas at Eduardo Avaroa Andean National Fauna Reserve in southwestern Bolivia

Langurs, Rajasthan state, India

After a rare downpour langurs seek shelter from a fleeting desert waterfall. The Thar is usually inhospitably hot and dry, reaching 120°F. These monkeys, which are about two feet long and 25 to 40 pounds, are the only primates besides humans that thrive in this harsh habitat.

Thomson's Gazelle, Lake Nakuru

A female Thomson's gazelle runs through shallow water, with lesser flamingoes in the background. Lake Nakuru, Kenya.

Dolphins:amazing animals with problem-solving super powers!

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises.Most dolphins have acute eyesight, both in and out of the water, and they can hear frequencies ten times or more above the upper limit of adult human hearing.Dolphins are often regarded as one of Earth's most intelligent animals.