Download Sea Lion

Sea Lion
By: Mitchell Davis
I am Mitchell Davis and in my power point I will educate
you on the marine mammal, the sea lion. 'Sea lions are
sea mammals. Characterized by external ear flaps, long
foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short,
thick hair. Together with the fur seals, they comprise the
family Otariidae, eared seals and there are six extant and
one extinct species (the Japanese sea lion) in five genera.
Their range extends from the subarctic to tropical waters
of the global ocean in both the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres, with the notable exception of the northern
Atlantic Ocean. They have an average life span of 20–30
years
Classification
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Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Superfamily: Pinnipedia
Family:
Otariidae
Subfamily: Otariinae
Morphology
Biology
 Sea Lions use both front and back flippers to walk or
run on land
 Sea Lion's rear flippers can be moved forward so
they can move on land
 The front flippers can rotate backwards to support
their weight, which allows Sea Lions to lift their
necks upright
 Adult males grow to be much larger than females
Major Examples
 California Sea Lions are a major example
 the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal
eared seal native to western North America. It is one of
five species of sea lion. Its natural habitat ranges from
southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of
California. Sea lions are sexually dimorphic, males are
larger than females, and have a thicker neck and
protruding crest. They mainly haul-out on sandy or rocky
beaches, but they also frequent manmade environments
such as marinas and wharves. Sea lions feed on a number
of species of fish and squid, and are preyed on by killer
whales and white sharks.
Distribution
Cool Facts
 Sea Lions have external ear flaps, which Seals do not have. This gives Sea
Lions a little bit better sense of hearing
 Males have external tactical unlike Seals
 Sea Lions have a streamline shape, which makes them quick in the water
 Sea Lions are clever animals which allows them to figure things out
 Sea Lions have figured out ways to skim among the bottom of the ocean
and disturb fish trying to hide
 To avoid Predators Sea Lions will swim in-between rocks to get away from
their larger predators
 Males have a higher mortality rate than females. By ten years of age,
there is a 3:1 ratio of females to males.
 It is difficult to study Steller sea lions in the wild, because Steller sea lions
are extremely skittish, especially in the winter.
 Stones are commonly found in Steller sea lions' stomachs from pebbles to
stones up to 12 cm in diameter! Scientists are not certain if these rocks are
swallowed by accident or if they serve a useful function. It is speculated
that they might help grind up fish, or act as a ballast when diving, or
might help ward off hunger pangs when the animals are fasting on shore.
 The deepest dive recorded for a Steller sea lion was 424 m.
Importance
 Sea Lion poo may be an important addition to the health of
marine ecosystems, according to new research. The
bacteria in an Australian sea lion's gut keep essential
nutrients where they're most needed in the marine
ecosystem, South Australian scientists say. Researchers
from Flinders University in Adelaide studied the bacterial
profile of sea lion guts by looking at the entire suite of genes,
known as the microbiome. They found the guts contained
high numbers of bacteria able to metabolise iron and
phosphorus, important elements for growth of the first tier
in the marine food chain - phytoplankton.
 Hunted for hide and food
Links
 http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/sealion-poo-important-for-ocean-health.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_sea_lion
 http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllab
us/ch9vertebrates/mammals/mammalwp/class_of_20
05/john1/adapt.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_lion