The leopard seal is named after its black and grey spotted coat. It is also known as sea leopard. Its resemblance with leopards, however does not stop with the appearance. Like leopards, sea leopards too are fierce hunters.
Leopard seals are the most formidable hunters of all the seals. They are the only seals that feed on warm-blooded prey. They have powerful jaws and sharp teeth with which they devour their prey including small fish, squid and other seals. Leopard seals occupy Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, which give them an opportunity to prey on penguins as well.
The way a leopard seal hunts penguins is interesting. At first, it surveys the entire edges of the ice while remaining submerged. It then waits for the birds to enter the ocean and catches them while they are swimming. It grabs the penguin by its feet and shakes it vigorously until the bird is dead, a cruel death for the penguin indeed.
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