Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
There are two species of elephant seals, the
northern and southern. Northern elephant
seals can be found in California and Baja
California, though they prefer to frequent
offshore islands rather than the North
American mainland.
Southern elephant seals live in sub-
Antarctic and Antarctic waters that feature
brutally cold conditions but are rich in the
fish, squid, and other marine foods these
seals enjoy. Southern elephant seals breed
on land but spend their winters in the
chilly Antarctic waters near the Antarctic
pack ice. Do you know southern seals
can dive over 4,921 feet (1,500 metres)
deep and can remain submerged for up
to two hours?
Southern elephant seals are the largest
of all seals. Males can be over 20 feet
(6 metres) long and weigh up to 8,800
pounds (4,000 kilograms). But these
massive mammals with flippers aren’t
called elephant seals because of their size.
They take their name from their trunk like
inflatable snouts.
The northern elephant seals live up to
nine years whereas the southern ones
can live up to 22 years. When breeding
season arrives, male elephant seals define
and defend territories. They collect a
harem of 40 to 50 females, which are
much smaller than their enormous mates.
Males battle each other for dominance.
Some encounters end with roaring and
aggressive posturing, but many others turn
into violent and bloody battles.
Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes
called, give birth in late winter to a
single pup and nurse it for approximately
a month. While suckling their young,
females do not eat—both mother and
child live off the energy stored in ample
reserves of her fat. Females give birth to
a single pup each year after a 11-month
pregnancy.
Elephant seals migrate in search of food,
spending months at sea and often diving
deep to forage. They return to their
rookeries in winter to breed and give birth.
Though both male and female elephant
seals spend time at sea, their migration
routes and feeding habits differ: Males
follow a more consistent route while
females vary their routes in pursuit of
moving prey.
Elephant seals were aggressively hunted
for their oil, and their numbers were
once reduced to the brink of extinction.
Fortunately, populations have rebounded
under legal protections.
Northern elephant seals don't like visiting the ___________.
Asub-Antarctic waters
BNorth American mainland
Cchilly Antarctic waters
Doffshore islands