Family of the Week: The Sea Bears
OK, I've been so busy, but I think it's about time I got back on track! UGH!! My free time is so limited these days.
The sea bears are a small group of large oceanic mammals around during the early Metazoic, before the evolution of the sea monkeys. They actually evolved off the modern black bears, which during the earliest days of the Metazoic, learned to take on a semi-aquatic lifestyle so they could feed on fish. These animals are built with small heads, realtively long necks, sleek bodies, a short tail, and flippers, of which the foreflippers are larger than the rear flippers. Many species have heads that are adorned with some kind of decorative features, particularly most prominent in the males. Females have smaller crests or none at all. The forelimbs are the only ones that have claws. The fur is very short, but thick. During certain times of the year, the bright colors show through from the skin, giving these animals unusual hues, including blues, lavendars and reds. These are not social animals, except during the breeding season. Most of the time, they hunt alone, and swim alone. Rarely do these animals haul out of the water, unlike modern seals or sea lions. These animals only come out of the water to birth their young, or to die. But they do not haul out in huge rookeries like modern seals do. Most species are quite large. The smallest species is Ocearctos, with a length of about 7 feet long from nose to tail. The largest species is in Pterolophus, with an average length of about 30 feet long.
These animals are very fast swimmers, and capable of capturing fish in flight. They can reach top speeds of about 35 mph. They swim much like sea lions, only on a greater magnitude. The head is usually extended out, and guides the rest of the body along in the water, rather like a giant sea serpent. The foreflippers are used more than the rear flippers. Their diet does not stop at fish. These voracious hunters of the deep will also take cephalopods, crabs, oysters, other marine mammals and even birds plucked right from the sky. These animals are among the deepest divers of the early Metazoic. They may dive as deep as a mile down to find food, relying on echolocation to guide them in the darkest realms of the ocean floor. Closer to the surface, these animals have really good eyesight. But their hearing is their most used feature.
Though these animals are very graceful swimmers, they are absolutely poor walkers. They do most everything in the water, including conception. The formal meeting and conception is quick and usually gets finished in a matter of seconds. Then the male and female parts company. A year later, the female hauls out on the beach to birth her cub. Males almost never see the land. Only the females make this pilgrimage every year.
Predators are quite few for these animals, other than sharks, which are ever-present and the major predators of young and adult sea bears. The tail can offer some defense if properly placed. These animals can actually kill or cripple a shark with their powerful tail by striking them in the gills.
The sea bears are a small group of large oceanic mammals around during the early Metazoic, before the evolution of the sea monkeys. They actually evolved off the modern black bears, which during the earliest days of the Metazoic, learned to take on a semi-aquatic lifestyle so they could feed on fish. These animals are built with small heads, realtively long necks, sleek bodies, a short tail, and flippers, of which the foreflippers are larger than the rear flippers. Many species have heads that are adorned with some kind of decorative features, particularly most prominent in the males. Females have smaller crests or none at all. The forelimbs are the only ones that have claws. The fur is very short, but thick. During certain times of the year, the bright colors show through from the skin, giving these animals unusual hues, including blues, lavendars and reds. These are not social animals, except during the breeding season. Most of the time, they hunt alone, and swim alone. Rarely do these animals haul out of the water, unlike modern seals or sea lions. These animals only come out of the water to birth their young, or to die. But they do not haul out in huge rookeries like modern seals do. Most species are quite large. The smallest species is Ocearctos, with a length of about 7 feet long from nose to tail. The largest species is in Pterolophus, with an average length of about 30 feet long.
These animals are very fast swimmers, and capable of capturing fish in flight. They can reach top speeds of about 35 mph. They swim much like sea lions, only on a greater magnitude. The head is usually extended out, and guides the rest of the body along in the water, rather like a giant sea serpent. The foreflippers are used more than the rear flippers. Their diet does not stop at fish. These voracious hunters of the deep will also take cephalopods, crabs, oysters, other marine mammals and even birds plucked right from the sky. These animals are among the deepest divers of the early Metazoic. They may dive as deep as a mile down to find food, relying on echolocation to guide them in the darkest realms of the ocean floor. Closer to the surface, these animals have really good eyesight. But their hearing is their most used feature.
Though these animals are very graceful swimmers, they are absolutely poor walkers. They do most everything in the water, including conception. The formal meeting and conception is quick and usually gets finished in a matter of seconds. Then the male and female parts company. A year later, the female hauls out on the beach to birth her cub. Males almost never see the land. Only the females make this pilgrimage every year.
Predators are quite few for these animals, other than sharks, which are ever-present and the major predators of young and adult sea bears. The tail can offer some defense if properly placed. These animals can actually kill or cripple a shark with their powerful tail by striking them in the gills.
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