Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, USA
Stock Photo: 15403 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA Format: Digital 3:2 Other Names: elefante marino, sea elephant, sea cow Copyright © Phillip Colla, all rights reserved worldwide. Purchase a print of this image Request a review copy of this image Keywords: angustirostris, animal, animalia, california, caniformia, carnivora, carnivore, chordata, creature, elefante marino, elephant seal, endangered, endangered threatened species, female disputes, male, mammal, mammalia, marine, marine mammal, mirounga, mirounga angustirostris, monterey bay national marine sanctuary, national marine sanctuaries, nature, northern elephant seal, ocean, phocid, phocidae, piedras blancas, pinniped, pinniped behavior, pinnipedia, san simeon, sea cow, sea elephant, seal, territorial dispute, threatened, usa, vertebrata, vertebrate, wildlife |