Seals and sea lions have several visible differences. Sea lions have external ear flaps, whereas the majority of seals have a small opening for an ear and lack an external ear flap. A flexible pelvic girdle enables sea lions to move more easily on land by rotating their hind flippers underneath their bodies and walking like other four-legged animals. To move on land, seals propel their streamlined bodies in a way similar to a caterpillar. Both seals and sea lions are professionals in the water environment. Sea lions use their large front flippers to propel themselves through the water. Seals use their hind flippers in a side-to-side motion.
Sight: Sea lions, like many marine mammals, can see well both above
and below the surface of the water. Unlike humans, sea lions may not see in
color. They can possibly discriminate colors in the blue - green spectrum. All
pinnipeds have a membrane at the back of each eye called a tapetum lucidum to
aid in night vision. Cats also have a tapetum lucidum, which is why the eyes of
both cats and sea lions glow at night. On land, their eyes are protected by a
nictitating membrane, which wipes away sand and debris.
Smell: Sea lions cannot smell underwater but, above water, smell is
a highly developed sense. Females use smell for pup recognition and males use
it for breeding purposes to locate females in estrus.
Taste: Sea lions have a limited sense of taste, similar to other marine
mammals.
Touch: Sea lions are tactile mammals. Their whiskers contain nerve
fibers, which make them sensitive. They may use their whiskers to aid in
navigation or to detect vibrations from prey in the water.
On land, sea
lions will sleep in a variety of positions, often on top of their friends.
California sea lions have been seen interacting with other species of
pinnipeds, such as northern elephant seals, harbor seals, Northern fur seals,
and Steller sea lions. In the water, they will sink to the bottom of shallow
areas, and occasionally rise to the surface for air. In deeper water, they will
float upright with the tip of their nose out of the water.
Sea lions are quite the social animal as they live much of their lives in large groups. Sometimes these groups may number in the thousands, but there are smaller sub-colonies of sea lions within the larger colony or pod. Sea lions enjoy the closeness of living together even if they have plenty of room to spread out further from one another. Female sea lions are referred to as cows, while male sea lions are known as bulls. Their little ones are called pups.
Sea lions are quite the skilled divers, with the ability to go underwater and stay underwater for as long as 40 minutes at a time. To do this, sea lions will close their nostrils together tightly, keeping them closed until they reach the surface again. During their underwater hunting sprees, they may go as far as 600 feet underwater. Natural-born swimmers, sea lions swim swiftly through ocean waters at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
A sea lion would be lost without its whiskers. A sea lion’s whiskers are called vibrissas. They help sea lions navigate through ocean waters. Each vibrissa has the ability to rotate much like a straw inside a bottle. The ultra-sensitive vibrissas help sea lions sense any potential food floating near. Their front flippers are very strong and can help them get around on land. Flippers also act much like a built-in heating and cooling system for sea lions. When it's cold, blood vessels in flippers constrict and prevent heat from escaping. When it's hot outside, blood circulates to the flippers to help the sea lion cool down.
Advice from a Sea
Lion: "Soak up some sun. Keep your whiskers clean. Let troubles roll off
your back. Don't flip out. Spend time at the beach. Have a playful spirit. Make
a splash!"
(YourTrueNature.com)
[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Fun Facts
on Sea Lions” By Pamela Miller
·
“Sea Lion Facts
for Kids” by Dolphin Research Center
·
“Sea Lion Info” by Dolphin Research Center
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