Fur Seal Sleeps in Water (IMAGE)

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Fur Seal Sleeps in Water

Caption

This image shows a fur seal sleeping in water, where one half of its brain sleeps at a time and it does not experience REM sleep. During unihemispheric sleep in the water the fur seals adopt a rather odd characteristic posture. The flipper attached to the waking part of the brain stays moving in the water to maintain its position, while the other flipper is taken out of the water and 'rests.' The eye attached to the waking part of the brain is aimed into the water, where sharks and other predators come from. The other eye, is closed because if is attached to the sleeping part of the brain, and it faces the sky. Seals are not threatened by birds.

Credit

Svetlana Artem'eva

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