-50- 



2) Leopard Seals 



The movements and activity patterns of leopard seals 

 have been only partially documented. Work on local movements 

 and predatory impact has been conducted in the vicinity of 

 several penguin colonies (Penney and Lowry, 1967; Muller- 

 Schwarze and Muller-Schwarze, 1971; Dawson, 1974) , General 

 activity patterns of leopard seals have been reported by 

 workers at penguin colonies and in the pack ice (Bechervaise , 

 1962; 0ritsland, 1970b; Erickson et al., 1971; Muller-Schwarze 

 and Muller-Schwarze, 1975) . But long-range movements of 

 leopard seals have received little attention. Despite un- 

 supported assumptions of extensive movements associated with 

 pack ice drift, there are indications that individuals may 

 remain primarily in one area. In 1973, Hofman and Reichle 

 (unpublished data) tagged leopard seals near Palmer Station 

 on the Antarctic Peninsula and resighted the tags three years 

 later in the same area. Hofman et al. (1977) , following 

 seasonal variations in leopard seal abundance near Palmer 

 Station, found increased numbers from early December to mid- 

 January suggesting that, although stocks may remain in one 

 general area, seasonal movements within the area may occur. 



Information on leopard seal behavior during pupping and 

 breeding is scarce. Pupping occurs in the pack ice during 

 November and December and observations have been made of 

 adult females and pups (McWhinnie and Parmelee, pers . comm. ; 

 Siniff et al., unpublished data) in the pack ice zone. In 

 the only documented leopard seal birth, a male was stillborn 

 from a caged female on Heard Island in mid-November (Brown, 

 1952) . Erickson and Hofman (1974) felt that parturition 

 probably occurs in October through December. Although 

 Harrison et al. (1968) suggested a nine to ten month gestation 

 period with no delayed implantation, Sinha and Erickson (1972) 

 suggested that delayed implantation does take place as with 

 other Antarctic phocids. 



3) Ross Seals 



Ross seal movements are virtually unknown, although it 

 is likely that populations may move according to seasonal pack 

 ice fluctuations. Pupping is thought to occur some time 

 from November to December in the pack ice zone. Erickson 

 and Hofman (1974) report that a translation of Solyanik's 

 (1964) Ross seal paper may indicate that a female and a pup 

 were captured on December 6, 1950 in pack ice near the 

 South Sandwich Islands. 



