Why Elephant Seals Drop Beats

Male elephant seals have rhythmic names that they keep throughout their lives and it looks like they also have naming trends.
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Sources:
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www.nytimes.co...
www.cell.com/c...
royalsocietypu...
eleseal.org/pap...
www.eleseal.org...
www.theatlanti...
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Seal Audio Recordings: royalsocietypu...
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• Male Elephant Seals Fight
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[@laurachapple6795]

I got to see elephant seals in the Falklands once and you are not kidding about how big they are. I've lived in apartments smaller than an elephant seal.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

Ig elephant seal is a pretty apt name

[@salochinkirilovichrenkleov2991]

Smelly, horny, fierce, slubberous, MIGHTY... With a masculine SNOOT

[@bendykirby4828]

“…unless you count the part where they fight by shouting their own names.” So they’re real-life Pokémon. Gotcha.

[@takenname8053]

maybe they fight more like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYSTkoxthbiNn6s

[@KarlVoelker]

I came to write this comment but you did it for me! Thanks pal.

[@zolacnomiko]

@@KarlVoelker Same! This was my immediate thought. XD

[@pokemon_trainer_isaiah]

*Cmon Game Freak, give us that elephant seal Pokémon*

[@dracodracarys2339]

GIVE US A WATER/FIGHTING REGIONAL DEWGONG THAT'S AN ELEPHANT SEAL

[@angelindenile]

"BEN!" "PHIL!" "BEN!" "PHIL!" PIPPINPADDLEOPSICOPOLIS THE THIRD!" It's about what I heard when you showed us the name recordings xD

[@PsychadelicoDuck]

Elephant seals: Can't tell a kayak from a female elephant seal, but do remember the names of every other guy on the beach.

[@cerberaodollam]

I mean some people think their waifus love them back

[@sholahverassa8582]

Indeed, dude, don't kinkshame them.

[@saltybeggar5048]

@@cerberaodollam well they can love you back in a fictional sense. The same way we think fictional characters are being X or Y despite not being real, they can love you back through 4th wall break.

[@Artesian_Turkey]

Now all I can think of is one elephant seal lunging at another, while screaming "Leeeroooy Jeeenkiiiiiinnnss!"

[@zolacnomiko]

Omg yes thank you for this excellent classic meme

[@SophiaAstatine]

Let's do this!

[@Krukmeister]

A lot of animals have the ability to learn the names humans give them, but wild animals naming themselves and seeing changes in how they name themselves over time is really intriguing.

[@magnarcreed3801]

Dolphins XD But yeah. I wonder if wild humans would naturally give each other names or make their own?

[@mackiexoxo8193]

@@magnarcreed3801 ... I mean, yes? That's how names started. Been doing it for thousands of years across the globe.

[@Blabla130]

"Elephant seals fight by shouting their names at each other" So they're basically Pokemon?

[@RamenNoodle1985]

2:35 the penguins scurrying to get out of the area is hilarious!

[@ariyantolim2197]

Hahaha thank you for the info

[@SirStarPancakes]

If they're dropping beats to fight, doesn't that mean elephant seals are essentially having rap battles?

[@manjensen1710]

Elephant seal: "First of all, I'm not a rapper".

[@elihinze3161]

new rap battle mascot just dropped!

[@trishalish13]

Ludacris! Usher! LUDACRIS! USHER!

[@julieflestado3955]

I want this video

[@mk_rexx]

But they only use the same verses everytime

[@bakuhakudraws5603]

Sarah:"Except the part where they fight by shouting their own names at each other" My Brain: "TETSUOOOOOOO! KANEDAAAAAAAA!" Me: "yep, that tracks."

[@Lichen8404]

Imagine you're going to fight some guy and he just goes "DAVID DAVID DAVID DAVID DAVID DAVID DAVID DAVID"

[@williwiebe]

A Professor showed my class of video of elephant seals fighting when I was in university, and it has become one of my fundamental memories of that class. Like I gained all this knowledge about animal behavior + the knowledge that elephant seals are vicious fighters and not to be trifled with.

[@MrT_Rex]

During a fight : -Hello, my name is Brian -And my name is Kyle

[@Eric_D_6]

IDK about that last part, human politicians basically fight by shouting their own names at each other too, it's a little more abstract and nuanced than that, but I'm sure it's also more nuanced than us humans realize when it comes to what elephant seals do too.

[@sholahverassa8582]

I'd say it's more of a name calling than name shouting these days xD

[@a-raegun912]

I was near a bull taking photographs (on the cliff above the beach where he was) and his calls literally rattled my chest. It was the most intese thing ever.

[@sasariwtf]

"It's not so weird even by our human standards, except maybe the part where they yell their own name" Meanwhile humans: "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?!?"

[@Wee_Thought]

They got more seals now so they've added last names too. Give it a couple decades and we'll have elephant seals with a first middle last and formal address

[@HeinzeC1]

They're just like pokemon. Walkin' around; shouting their name at everything.

[@RebleGreyWarden]

Fascinating! THICC bois shouting their names on the beach lol The seal chilling at 5:26 while the other two fight is so funny XD

[@JobvanderZwan]

"Unless you count the part where they fight by shouting their own name at each other" Someone hasn't watched Akira, I see

[@roosterjangles3335]

i will establish dominance but yelling "EVAN EVAN EVAN EVANNNN EVAN!"

[@AthAthanasius]

ATH ATH ATH ATH ATH AAAAAAAAAAAAAATH

[@amandaostrem4114]

Two suggestions for future bizarre beasts- Narwhals and Hognose Snakes

[@antimatterofficial196]

Elephant seals before a fight: MY NAAAAME!!! IS GYOBU MASATAKA ONIWA!!!!

[@AthAthanasius]

"... you killed my father..."

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

Video has seal of approval

[@alesdossantos4224]

I like the idea of finding yourself a name while growing up.

[@cerberaodollam]

Isn't that what trans folks do basically?

[@alesdossantos4224]

@@cerberaodollam they do… but why don’t we all do this!

[@cameronschyuder9034]

@@alesdossantos4224 Technically anyone can change their name, the people that don't change their names probably don't see a need to. Or, some go by a nickname of their legal name, or a nickname based off of some other trait. Socially, they are known by a chosen name either the same as or different than their legal name, but not everyone feels like it needs to be reflected in their official records. It's a tedious process after all

[@alesdossantos4224]

@@cameronschyuder9034 yes that’s right, but, to me, finding yourself a name as a part of an extended cultural process has more beauty in it than changing your name because you don’t like it

[@Dizerfullpower]

That was more prevalent earlier in different cultures, usually being tied with some initiation rituals

[@kgga3]

Thanks for mentioning chosen names 💖 means a lot

[@honeyLXIX]

"I'm not even the only Sarah at this company" me and all the Emilys know how you feel

[@crystalhenderson8349]

I LOVE THE ELEPHANT SEAL!!

[@Symphing12]

I DO TOO!!

[@midloran]

They're pedo

[@nariu7times328]

This series is so much fun!

[@victoriawilliams2786]

I have always thought that almost all animals have their own names. Needless to say I have to share this video! Validation!

[@sion8]

I don't think all animals, but those with high level of socialization more than likely do.

[@mk_rexx]

Most animals would use other ways of identification other than sound like scent and body markings

[@dorabrooks76]

Dolphins also have "names" and will respond when called. 😄 (As reported by Nat Geo, the BBC, and science .org, etc. [I left a space in the last reference so this comment wouldn't get deleted...]) Cheers!

[@BrassLock]

@@dorabrooks76 So, KZbin deletes comments that have "foreign names"?

[@madao7865]

So they're like Pokemon

[@ziizification]

Celebrating my new job by joining the BB pin club just in time for a pin of one of my favorite families of animals, the pinnipeds! Love these floppy nosed honkers and it's so cool to know they have names and signals like this!!!

[@dorabrooks76]

It's super cool! 😄 Since pinnipeds are you favorites, I hope you don't mind me sharing a story. Quick background for context: I live right on the Pacific coast, not far from Vancouver, BC, Canada. As a teen I spent as much of the summer as possible swimming in the ocean. When I was about 15, I was swimming in the ocean at dusk, alone (my sister had gotten out a bit before me), while the rest of my family lounged on the beach. I was (and am) a strong and pretty fearless swimmer, so I was out pretty deep, waaaay past where I could touch bottom. I was floating on my back, enjoying the last of the sunset. Suddenly something splashed water over my face. I sat up, treading water, and looked around out to sea (the direction the splash came from), but couldn't see anything. Then another splash of water hit the back of my head. Confused, and slightly unnerved, I slowly started swimming towards shore. Another splash hits the back of my head! More looking around, this time in every direction since I'd been splashed from multiple directions by now- though always to the back of my head. This continued until I got close enough to shore for my family to hear me. I called out to them to see if they had seen anything, but they hadn't been looking. Splash! By now I'm quite a bit freaked out, yet I see my family doubled over laughing. One of them quickly points behind me, and as I turn my head, SPLASH! Right into my face. This time, though, I saw what's been throwing water at me- a Stellar Sea Lion! Bobbing in the water just barely an arm's length away from me. Well, it knows its game is up, that I saw it, so it vocalises (I could smell its breath it was so close!), splashes me one last time for good measure, swims around me once, looking at me with its head tilted curiously the whole time, then takes off into the ocean. 🤣🤣🤣 It was both the scariest _and_ funniest time I've ever had swimming in the ocean!! I will always believe that Stellar Sea Lions have a sense of humor. 😂 I later found out that there are tons of accounts of them playing with humans- I still feel very honored to have had such an interaction with a wild sealion! I love catching sight of them when by or out on the water- they really are funny characters! 🥰 I hope you enjoyed my story. Cheers! 😊

[@ziizification]

@@dorabrooks76 That's so amazing! I grew up summering in Maine so I know both harbor and grey seals but they're a lot more wary of people and boats so they never get that close.

[@dorabrooks76]

@@ziizification It really was! It's one of my favorite experiences in my life, and also one of my favorite stories to recount. The wildlife here is incredibly amazing, and I cherish each encounter! 😊 The Harbour Seals here tend to be more wary of humans, too. You can get fairly close to one sunning on some rocks if you're in a kayak or canoe, though. 😄

[@gwyn.]

They used to sound like Harley Davidson failing to start up, now they sound like Harley Davidson reeving.

[@Charlie._.Niron22]

Female Elephant Seal chilling on a Beach and meanwhile in the Distance I'M SAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM! I'M GREEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNN! *Green Wins the Heram

[@thecryptofishist9565]

Winner then tramples her by accident...

[@Charlie._.Niron22]

@@thecryptofishist9565 And that's the end of the show! See you all later folks!

[@padwix2466]

Seeing that spider pin on her makes me so sad. I wore mine on my work hat, but it just disappeared one day. That was my favorite pin. ;_;

[@augustlizabethmoore]

So... Elephant seals a basically Pokémon, got it

[@andrewweaver2517]

Nice pins, Sarah! I wish we had a group to trade with each other in. Thanks for the info on sick organic beats!

[@SPUDog]

So... elephant seals are pokemon- continuously shouting out their names

[@imaginativefanatic]

If you wanna know how big an elephant seal is but are having issues picturing it and have been to a marine park before, they're about the same size as killer whales. They are BIG.

[@jobriq5]

The females are like half the size tho

[@imaginativefanatic]

@@jobriq5 the females are almost half the size in both species

[@jared_bowden]

I knew they were big, but , damn. I'm very familiar with sea lions, which are about the size big brown bear (and quite a bit heavier); I knew that elephants seal were quite a bit bigger then the sea lions, but I never realized they're like twice the size (and 4 times the weight).

[@nerdlingeeksly5192]

Let me hug those big blubber puppers

[@NewMessage]

There ain't no party like an elephant seal party, 'cause an elephant seal party don't stop.

[@sfowler1017]

I've had an affection for elephant seals since Happy Feet 2. (Also Hi Sarah, I'm Sarah.)

[@retro6294]

Thank you for giving us examples of their communication. For a moment, I thought I was listening to a car trying to start.

[@DeathsNitemareShepardOfHope]

Haa! -"Oh Ya? Well my name is TONY." -"So, my name is ADAM." -"And I'm TONY." -"ADAM!" -"TONY!" 😄👍

[@rays5163]

No, they call me the nameless one...wait ..i guess that's a name ...

[@chrisforsyth8323]

I love the zoom screen. Beautiful touch.

[@GuanoLad]

We used to get seals on the beach near where I grew up, but they were most often fur seals I think, and not usually any larger than, say, a legless cow.

[@slwrabbits]

Okay, cows are pretty big enough for me. Staying away!

[@dpr9921]

I've seen a full-grown elephant seal and I'm glad they are indeed seals, not bears...

[@armie4172]

Elephant seal: “My name is Maximus Desimus. Meridius. I will get my vengeance in this life or the next.”

[@TMtheScratcher]

I wonder if the origins of our language lie also in naming our selves and our rivals instead of naming food-sources or danger. Prairie dogs for example in fact have different sounds for different kins of danger (and those differ among populations), however I'm not sure if they use names. So both options were already seen in anmials

[@sion8]

Yeah they have names, so do dolphins. If I remember correctly they also know how to differentiate between a few sets of colors and know what a human is (as in it can tell we are different than other animals in their environment). However I can't remember where I saw that, it was a long time ago! Maybe Discovery?🤔

[@TMtheScratcher]

@@sion8 I also saw a short documentary (maybe national geographic?) where they were able to distinguish with words predators on land, at sky, and humans, but also had different sounds for big and thin humans and blue or red shirt color

[@afatpossum2586]

It’s like a wrestler title honestly, their like “oh god it’s the baja basher, I can’t take that guy!”

[@mestiarcanus]

Next time someone cuts me off in traffic, I guess I'll just start shouting my name at them.

[@Ghennesph]

So they're irl pokemon

[@ultraapple3997]

"i'm a seal, and i am gona name misellf spagety" - seal 2022

[@gormauslander]

"They loudly yell their name so that you know when you lose who did it to you" *LEEEEROOOOOOY JEEEENKIIIIIIIIIINS!!!*

[@justayoutuber1906]

The seal said: "He doesn't like you. I don't like you either! You just watch yourself! We're wanted seals. We have the death sentence on twelve systems."

[@ApequH]

2:15, when talking about mating, does the female have any influence in the whole process? I know female deer decide themselves who they mate with, regardless of the group they belong to. And mares also ultimately pick who they mate with. Mating behavor is ofthen simplyfied to males "winning" the females is battle and the females just accepting whatever happens. The female role is not recheached very well.

[@davidegaruti2582]

I guess they simply choose the biggest and toughest seal , It's more convinient for them to do that since they would have more offsprings that way , Another thing they do is purposfully mating with "sneaky males" those that look like females and mate with them while the main male is distracted , They do this because it grants them the success the male had when breeding

[@LimeyLassen]

It stands to reason that females who are picky would have an advantage over ones who aren't, right?

[@koraptd6085]

@@LimeyLassen i mean they would have less children and if based around wrong factors "being picked", such behavior wouldn't be advantageous from survival stand point.

[@LimeyLassen]

@@koraptd6085 Sometimes having fewer children is a good thing. They're the ones who have to _make_ those children, after all.

[@MoBahar687]

Man, what i wont do to be an Elephant Seal... Looks so relaxing.

[@stachan24]

I fcking LOVE elephant seal

[@icetime2204]

I love these animals!

[@pumpkinpie169]

thanks now im imagining a semiaquatic mammal pulling up on a beach and beatboxing

[@sion8]

They remind me of pro-wrestlers. Everything you described is pretty much pro-wrestling.

[@danielkorladis7869]

spot on

[@freshboy3968]

*The cream of the crop~*

[@ConfuciousDragon]

TIL elephant seals are actually Pokémon

[@baeuy5019]

JIM!! MIKE!! JIM!! MIKE!! JIM!! MIKE!!

[@1998topornik]

I didn't know so much stuff was behind sounds they make.

[@gialisavanboxtel1860]

Now I know, they are pokémon, they only say their own name!

[@nickc3657]

Penni Peds is hilarious, thank you

[@LeoStaley]

FYI I have notifications turned on for this channel but I didn't get a notification for this video.

[@bobthehobo666]

You should consider doing an episode on siphonophores

[@NemoA90]

"Alan! Alan! Alan!"

[@liizs2863]

They sound like revving engines

[@kellynbotha]

Anyone else pause to see the names they gave people at the 00:14 mark? Shout out to my girl Penni Peds, and the Sealman family!

[@EnzoDraws]

They fight shouting their own names to each other, so the opposite of anime

[@murkyseb]

They’re my favourite creature aside from giant crayfish and cockatiels. I didn’t know about them naming each other, very cool! Can’t wait for my pin

[@aleksitjvladica.]

Mmm, are you a 30-year woman? I can give you one cockatiel.

[@suspiciousllama385]

Well honestly they get recognized by their growl we as people with names called them names

[@TheMossFinder]

Oh well this explains Happy Feet 2

[@adamaenosh6728]

We fight by shouting the names of our countries at each other

[@Crembaw]

We should do this in human society.

[@thelastcube.]

fight to establish the dominant male by flapping at our opponent during mating season? A little stretch I think

[@midloran]

But females will fight

[@godnoble]

So they're basically Beowulf in the Angelina Jolie movie, in the scene where Beowulf kills the dragon and then screams his own name.

[@WanderTheNomad]

"Jugemu-jugemu Gokōnosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kūnerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakōjino-burakōji Paipopaipo-paiponoshūringan Shūringanno-gūrindai Gūrindaino-ponpokopīno-ponpokonāno Chōkyūmeino-chōsuke!" "Percival Ramchee Gregory Nicolai Jacques Scozer Leonardo Gabriel Socrates Ming Victor Nostradomus Alistair Predisha Vladimir Stiegler Rasputin Boromir Walla Walla Shadiga Alexander Oliver Abelard Arnesto Zippy Zappy Angel Eyes!"

[@remmirath42]

They fight by shouting their own names at each other... so elephant seals are Pokémon?

[@joetower1766]

This girl dresses cool af n awesome video

[@srivatsajoshi4028]

what's stopping them from impersonating? like what's stopping a low ranking male from announcing that he's a high rank?

[@juncohill]

I imagine it doesn't pay off to pretend to be the beach boss, when the actual beach boss could kick your butt with the force of a car crash.

[@philipg7765]

Sounds have changed, yip imitating Harley Davidsons that’s cool

[@EduardQualls]

@0:26 "individual rhythms that identify them to other males that they keep throughout their lives" (which males do they keep throughout their lives?) ==> *"individual rhythms that they keep throughout their lives, to identify themselves to other males"* SYNTAX RULES even in science! (It's the "I know a man with one leg named Smith." --"What's his other leg called?" situation.)

[@Brieperalta]

Is this where the FU Ezekiel trend started???? 🤔🤣

[@joshstephens1527]

Steeeve!....BARRRY!

[@Romanticoutlaw]

all I really knew about them was their willingness to crush other living things to death lol, so this is neat. Iirc this is another one of those species that will bone anything they can get underneath them

[@Crootcovitz]

They communicate by speaking their names? Like Pokemon?

[@salochinkirilovichrenkleov2991]

They edzhaculatszyat in gallons with their giant bonaires and krooschfukk everything

[@ketsuekikumori9145]

"I'm willing to bet that every person watching has a name." What if my name is Null. As in, no information; there is nothing here; defined as nothing.

[@the_gaming_hyena24]

Please do an episode on the hyena!

[@capitanflemish]

We need an episode and a pin about the female hyenas

[@SaiyanHeretic]

They fight by shouting their own names at each other? Oh, so like dragons in Skyrim, lol.

[@skeletontamir]

they seem very heavy and strong I see why captian Gutts decide to hire Flynn, althrough, he isnt that useful(ice age 4 reference)

[@powerpuppy7217]

Dababy has been real silent ever since this dropped

[@cloverhighfive]

Tony and Ezekiel

[@IceCreamSplat]

if thinking about their size is hard, try this. A really short human is maybe around 150 cm tall. 4 of those humans lying from toe to head are needed to make a full length of an adult male elephant seal of 6 meters. Or have you ever met someone that's 2 meters tall? Or maybe you are yourself? yeah standing next to them makes you really aware of how tall that height is. Now lay three of those humans next to each other from toe to head and you'll have an elephant seal of 6 meters. These bad boys are HUGE

[@ZedaZ80]

:0 tha's big ö

[@9051team]

Hank sent me here!

[@Merfnad]

I really like the music at around 1:00, does anyone know the name of the track or artist?

[@PsyKeks]

I'd call it more of a catchphrase than a name, as they announce themselves with it, are not called by it.