Pinniped
WARNING: The following article is in violation of the wiki's No Nerpa Policy. Proceed at your own risk.
Pinnipeds (pronounced /ˈpɪnɪsˌpɛdz/), commonly known as laes, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, odorous, mostly marine mammals in the clade Pinnipedia. They include the mighty walrus, the ferocious eared seals (such as sea lions), and the loathsome earless damn seals. While most species of pinniped are marine, there exists a single completely freshwater species that is thought by some to be the worst animal in existence.[citation needed] Pinnipeds are often criticized by the public for their looks, odours, etc., and are considered some of the worst animals in existence. For these reasons, people are looking forward to a total seal extinction event, although from the ecological perspective of an earthling, it might not be the best idea.[citation needed]
Other names for pinnipeds in other languages include:
- zeehond (Dutch)
- phoque (French)
- Robben (German)
- foca (Spanish)
- アザラシ (azarashi, Japanese)
The 34 extant species of pinnipeds are:
- Walrus
- Antarctic fur seal
- Brown fur seal
- Galápagos fur seal
- Guadalupe fur seal
- Juan Fernández fur seal
- New Zealand fur seal
- South American fur seal
- Subantarctic fur seal
- Northern fur seal
- Steller sea lion
- Australian sea lion
- South American sea lion
- New Zealand sea lion
- California sea lion
- Galápagos sea lion
- Hooded seal
- Bearded seal
- Grey seal
- Ribbon seal
- Leopard seal
- Weddell seal
- Crabeater seal
- Northern elephant seal
- Southern elephant seal
- Mediterranean monk seal
- Hawaiian monk seal
- Ross seal
- Harp seal
- Spotted seal
- Harbor seal
- Caspian seal
- Ringed seal
- Nerpa
There are two extinct species of pinnipeds that no one has to worry about any longer. They are the Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal.