e leopard seal, and the highest rate of mortality occurs during the first six months of life.
Most seals are marine animals, but a few are lake-dwellers or are found in inland bodies of water. Some seals spend most of the year in the open ocean, while others inhabit coastal waters and spend varying amounts of time on shores, islands, or ice floes. Occasionally they ascend rivers (3). Hooded seals are pelagic and rarely venture near land, having the Arctic seas as its habitat, and often sharing ice packs with harp seals. In this case, the hooded seal favors the inner, thick ice of the pack, while the harp seal is found on the thin ice near the edges.
This variety in habitats has led to the development of a wide variety of seal species with varying needs in terms of habitat and food. Many environmental factors thus combine to determine which species of seals inhabit which areas of the world. Water temperature, presence of predators, range of weather conditions, and food supply all combine to provide a suitable environment for a particular spec
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