Marie Bealer, ape 11, of Cleveland, Ohio, for her question:

Do seals swallow their food whole?

The chewers and chompers are large, wide crowned molars. The seals have plenty of other teeth, but they do not have sturdy molars to crush and grind their food. Hence, it must be gulped and swallowed in whole bites. They are meat eaters that dine mostly on fish, usually gulped down alive and kicking. Some species also eat shellfish, and some are very fond of squid and octopus.

All members of the seal group have rows of sharp teeth along the sides of their jaws. When they bite, the uppers and lowers interlock, forming sharp scissors suitable for holding and slicing their slippery victims. The famous tusks of the walrus are overgrown canine teeth in his upper jaw.

Digesting gobs of unchewed meat is not easy. Post seals swallow sizable stones to help the stomach grind up their tough, fibrous food.