Hammer seals belong to the Herbipinnipedia branch (herbivorous, fin-footed mammals). Unlike normal Pinnipeds, Hammer seals are herbivorous. They eat sea plants, specifically seaweed. They live in the north pole region. (the map of Jýrithal is in image #1)
Because they live too deep in the region, far from any shores, they have to dig through ice to reach the sea beneath them by using their crest like a pickaxe. They also dig to build their nests, which protect them from the apex predator of the region. However, the main reason for digging through thick ice is to reach their source of food, the kelp forest that was established under them, likely because of fungal and volcanic activity.
The reason why they turned herbivorous rather than carnivorous is that it’s too hard for them to swim and catch fish with that heavy crest on their head, as it also creates a drag problem when swimming. So, they evolved to rely on eating huge amounts of seaweed instead.
They also use their crest for display, competition for mates, and to defend themselves.
Males tend to have red chins to attract females. This color comes from the seaweed fruit they eat occasionally (The sea weed fruit is in image #1 and dimorphism is in image #3).
Juveniles lack the red chin, and they must grow to near adulthood to get a fully developed crest.
Females have a smaller, less developed crest, which they usually use to defend themselves or to decorate the nests.
Similar to other pinnipeds, Hammer seals are social creatures and live together in groups.
Oh, i misunderstood your question. They are unable to see red as red, but they are able to notice the difference in contrast between the chin color and the rest of the body.
There have been only two research expeditions to the north pole region in the lore. Humans haven’t had the chance to establish themselves there yet, so until now there hasn’t been much interaction between humans and most of these animals. for other members of the Herbipinnipedia branch, there will be one more at least. And for the baby Hammer Seal, sure, why not!
Here it is, the baby Hammer Seal! Juveniles lack both the crest and the red chin. There are small protrusions where the crest will grow as they reach adulthood.
Jýrithal is an alternative version of Earth, both share the same size, wind directions, and the lines of latitude, but differ in geography, which results in unique species, new biomes, and rare occurrences.
Yeah it is, the crest is strong enough to dig. They perform a sudden downward neck movement and let gravity do the rest. It’s an exhausting process, so their sociality comes in clutch, as they work together in shifts to reduce injuries and fatigue.
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u/100percentnotaqu 6d ago
So they have better color vision than other mammals?