Common Seal vs Fern Palm

Phoca vitulina compared with Cycas revoluta

Key Differences

Common Seal is Near Threatened while Fern Palm is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Seal	Fern Palm
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Cycadales (Cycadales)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Cycadaceae
Genus	Phoca (Harbor Seals)	Cycas
Species	Phoca vitulina	Cycas revoluta

Conservation Status

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Fern Palm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Seal	Fern Palm
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	30 years	—
Average Length	1.7 m	—
Average Weight	80.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Fern Palm

Habitat

Native to Africa and Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (5 countries), Asia (India, Taiwan), Europe (Portugal), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.