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Why are elephant seals named after elephants?
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seal
Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus).
Elephant seals are named for two primary reasons related to their physical characteristics: their massive size and the male’s distinctive, inflatable, trunklike snout.12
These marine mammals, which belong to the family Phocidae, are the largest of all pinnipeds. The males possess a long, inflatable proboscis that resembles an elephant's trunk, a feature that distinguishes them from other seal species.12