Editing Elephant seal (section)

==Description==
Elephant seals are [[marine mammals]] classified under the order Pinnipedia, which, in Latin, means feather- or fin-footed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Princeton Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals|last=Macdonald|first=David|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2009}}</ref> Elephant seals are considered true seals, and fall under the family Phocidae.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Elephant seals|date=1999|publisher=Central Coast Press|isbn=9780965877695|location=San Luis Obispo, Calif.|oclc=44446823|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/elephantseals0000frie}}</ref> [[Earless seal|Phocids]] (true seals) are characterized by having no external ear and reduced limbs.<ref name=":2" /> The reduction of their limbs helps them be more streamlined and move easily in the water.<ref name=":1" /> However, it makes navigating on land more difficult because they cannot turn their hind flippers forward to walk like the [[Eared seal|otariids]].<ref name=":1" /> In addition, the hind flippers of elephant seals have a lot of surface area, which helps propel them in the water.<ref name=":1" /> 

Elephant seals spend the majority of their life (90%) underwater in search of food, and can cover {{convert|100|km|mi|-1|abbr=off}} a day when they head out to sea.<ref name=":2" /> When elephant seals are born, they can weigh up to {{convert|36|kg|lb|abbr=off}} and reach lengths up to {{convert|122|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":2" /> [[Sexual dimorphism]] is extreme, with male elephant seals weighing up to 10 times more than females,<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals|last1=Thewissen|first1=J.M.|last2=Würsig|first2=B.G.|last3=Perrin|first3=W.F.|publisher=Academic Press|year=2009|location=Amsterdam}}</ref> and having a prominent [[proboscis]].<ref name=":2" /> 

Elephant seals take their name from the large [[proboscis]] of the adult male (bull), reminiscent of an elephant's trunk, and considered a secondary sexual characteristic.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mirounga |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/elephant-seal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614052623/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/elephant-seal.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2007 |title=Elephant Seal, Elephant Seal Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News – National Geographic |publisher=Animals.nationalgeographic.com |access-date=2009-01-08}}</ref> The bull's proboscis is used in producing extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the [[mating]] season. More importantly, however, the nose acts as a sort of [[rebreather]], filled with cavities that reabsorb moisture from their exhalations.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Huntley, A. C. |author2=Costa, D. P. |author3=Rubin, R. D. | year = 1984 | title = The contribution of nasal countercurrent heat exchange to water balance in the northern elephant seal, ''Mirounga angustirostris''|url=http://jeb.biologists.org/content/113/1/447 | journal = Journal of Experimental Biology | volume = 113 | pages = 447–454|doi=10.1242/jeb.113.1.447 |pmid=6527090 |doi-access=free }}</ref> This is important during the mating season when the seals do not leave the beach to feed, and must conserve body moisture as there is no incoming source of water. 

They are very much larger than other [[pinniped]]s, with southern elephant seal bulls typically reaching a length of {{convert|5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and a weight of {{convert|3000|kg|lb|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}, and are much larger than the adult females (cows), with some exceptionally large males reaching up to {{convert|6|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} in length and weighing {{convert|4000|kg|lb|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}; cows typically measure about {{convert|3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|900|kg|lb|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}. Northern elephant seal bulls reach a length of {{convert|4.3|to|4.8|m|abbr=on}} and the heaviest weigh about {{convert|2500|kg|lb|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115 |title=Elephant Seals |publisher=Parks.ca.gov |date=2007-05-23 |access-date=2009-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=Elephant%20Seal |title=Elephant Seal – MSN Encarta |publisher=Encarta.msn.com |access-date=2009-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028024826/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572126/Elephant_Seal.html |archive-date=2009-10-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The northern and southern elephant seal can be distinguished by various external features. On average, the southern elephant seal tends to be larger than the northern species.<ref name=":3" /> Adult male elephant seals belonging to the northern species tend to have a larger proboscis, and thick chest area with a red coloration compared to the southern species.<ref name=":3" /> Females do not have the large proboscis and can be distinguished between species by looking at their nose characteristics.<ref name=":3" /> Southern females tend to have a smaller, blunt nose compared to northern females.<ref name=":3" />