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Sea Lion Survivors
California sea lions were once hunted for their fur and blubber. By the 1920s, decades of hunting had left only a few hundred alive. In the following decades, their numbers slowly increased as demand for sea lion products declined. In 1972, their population exploded as a result of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Today, there are about 170,000 California sea lions living on the West Coast.
Scientific name: Zalophus californianus
Size: five to eight feet long
Weight: adults up to 860 pounds
Habitat: the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico
Diet: fish, squid, and shellfish
Predators: great white sharks and killer whales
Characteristics: dark brown (males) to light brown (females), a bony bump on top of the head
Sea lions got their name because the males:
roar like lions.
are considered the rulers of the sea.
have thick furry manes.
Correct!
Male sea lions have a thick furry mane around their neck that almost resembles the mane of a lion. Male sea lions can also be quite aggressive. Small sea lion pups that could easily be stepped on by the huge males know to stay out of their way!
Mother sea lions find their pups among hundreds of sea lions by:
distinct marks on their skin.
the sounds of each others barks.
a unique flipper shape shared by the mother and her pup.
Correct!
About a week after a female sea lion gives birth, she heads out to sea to find food. Mothers and pups first find each other by recognizing each others barks. Mothers can also identify their pups smells.
Sea lions can see better underwater, but hear better outside of water.
Fact
OR
Fiction
?
Fact
Like humans, the sea lions ears work better in air than underwater. However, even though sea lions see well on land, their eyes are best suited for spotting prey underwater.
You can tell a seal from a sea lion by counting their teeth.
Fact
OR
Fiction
?
Fiction
Sea lions and fur seals look and act alike because they are closely related. But there are ways to tell them apart. Sea lions have shorter snouts and shorter fur than fur seals. Fur seals have fur so thick theyve sometimes been called "sea bears."