Male sea lion. Southern sea lion

Many people mistakenly believe that an animal sea lion- This is a northern resident. Today we will tell you where and how the sea lion lives.

Among sea creatures there is one with an unusual name for aquatic animals - sea lion. Does this animal really look like a lion? Judging by their appearance, it doesn’t look like it at all, except for one small detail... And besides, they belong to a completely different order (pinnipeds) and family (eared seals). Only 5 species of these animals live on our planet: southern, northern, Californian, New Zealand and Australian sea lions.

Appearance of a sea lion

The body of this representative of the pinniped order has a streamlined and elongated shape. His limbs are in the form of flippers. The head is small in size and is attached to a relatively long and very flexible neck. These animals are more mobile than the rest of their relatives. On the face you can see funny antennae called vibrissae. The animal's hair is very short and not too thick.

Male sea lions are much larger than females; females weigh, on average, 90 kilograms, while representatives of the opposite sex weigh 300 kilograms. The height of the animal is about 2 meters.

Where does the animal called the sea lion live?

This aquatic mammal is a resident of the southern hemisphere of our planet. Choosing natural areas, the sea lion prefers to be located on the open coasts of oceans and seas. Sea lion colonies can be seen near Australia, South America and New Zealand. The animal chooses both rocky and sandy terrain, and sometimes can stop to live in thickets of grass.

Animal behavior and lifestyle

As noted above, sea lions live in colonies (herds). However, it is worth noting that the population in one herd is not too large. And they are not too crowded in the selected area, such as, for example, seals.

Sea lions quite often swim into open ocean. There they get their food and can spend several days in the water. Basically, the sea lion is a sedentary animal, although there are still some semblances of nomadism. Animals can move up to 25 kilometers from the coast. Communication between individuals is carried out through a variety of sounds, vaguely similar to a growl, but softer.

What does a sea lion eat?

The basis of the diet of these mammals are animals such as: crustaceans, mollusks and some species small fish. The very dexterous and resourceful body of the sea lion makes it an excellent hunter - it very quickly and quickly pursues its prey, and then enjoys the process of eating it.

Reproduction of sea lions and their offspring

Once a year these animals experience mating season, during which one male gathers around himself a certain number of females (10 – 12). In the future, he becomes the father of future offspring from each “his” female. Sometimes males fight among themselves for leadership, but these fights are not too fierce.

The process of gestation lasts one year, after which babies are born - sea lion cubs, which the mother feeds with her milk (during the first 5 - 7 months of life). Immediately after birth, females again begin mating with males in order to replenish the herd with new individuals a year later.

Who are they - these carnivorous mammals? And what does the ocean dweller have in common with the large cats found in the savannahs? The answer to this question is quite simple: in mature males, the hair on the collar is longer than on the rest of the body, which gives a vague resemblance to the mane of an African predator.

Habitat

It is believed that sea lions live only in the Southern Hemisphere. There are three species of them there - according to their habitat: Australian, New Zealand and southern, found off the coast of Africa and Latin America. But north of the equator, such animals are also common. This is the California lion and. And if the first species is not much different from its southern counterparts (since it lives in the subtropics and there is no need for it to accumulate reserves subcutaneous fat), then the sea lion occupied a living niche in fairly high latitudes Northern Hemisphere. He lives in Russia on Kuril Islands, in the Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Sakhalin. It can also be found on the Commander and Aleutian Islands, Alaska and the coast North America all the way to California.

Sea lions, unlike other seals, are amazingly graceful creatures. Even on land they are quite active and move deftly, and in the water they even show the wonders of circus acrobatics. Their skin is brown, with rather short fur. This unattractive coat and meager reserves of fat saved the species from extermination by people. Hunting them is not as profitable as fur seals and other seals, although the endemic species of these animals was completely destroyed in Japan. Streamlined body, strong flippers, flattened small head with small, slightly convex beautiful eyes allow the lion to dive to a depth of 90 meters and chase schools of fish at high speed.

Appearance and behavior

On the face you can see funny antennae called vibrissae. The animal's hair is very short and not too thick.

Male sea lions are much larger than females; females weigh, on average, 90 kilograms, while representatives of the opposite sex weigh 300 kilograms. The height of the animal is about 2 meters.

Sea lions swim into the open ocean quite often. There they get their food and can spend several days in the water. Basically, the sea lion is a sedentary animal, although there are still some semblances of nomadism. Animals can move up to 25 kilometers from the coast. Communication between individuals is carried out through a variety of sounds, vaguely similar to a growl, but softer.

Nutrition

The basis of the diet of these mammals are animals such as crustaceans, mollusks and some types of small fish. The very dexterous and resourceful body of the sea lion makes it an excellent hunter - it very quickly and quickly pursues its prey, and then enjoys the process of eating it.

Reproduction

Once a year, these animals have a mating season, during which one male gathers around him a certain number of females (10 - 12).

In the future, he becomes the father of future offspring from each “his” female. Sometimes males fight among themselves for leadership, but these fights are not too fierce. The process of gestation lasts one year, after which babies are born - sea lion cubs, which the mother feeds with her milk for the first 5 to 7 months of life. Immediately after birth, females again begin mating with males in order to replenish the herd with new individuals a year later. who lives alone until she reaches puberty. The average lifespan of these mammals is 20 years.

Enemies

The main natural enemies of these animals are killer whales and sharks.

Sometimes sea lions become victims of large water transport - they die from a collision with it.

Interestingly, lions use their natural intelligence to protect themselves from predators.

There is a known case when a sea lion, having collided with a killer whale on the open sea, approached the yacht. An absolutely wild animal demonstrated to people with all its appearance that it needed help and asked for protection. These animals have extremely developed mental activity. They are smart, inventive, highly tamed and amenable to training. This, as well as their innate dexterity and grace, make them regular actors in aquariums and dolphinariums. Therefore, most of us have known what a sea lion looks like since childhood. And in conditions of free life, flocks of these seals escape from their natural enemies - sharks - by staying close to people, settling in at marinas, ports and even navigation buoys. Types of sea lions Males southern species They grow quite large - about 2.5 m in length with a weight of 300 kg. They are dark brown in color, turning yellowish on the ventral part. Females are almost as long, reaching 2 m, but are twice as slender and weigh up to 150 kg. The color of females is similar to that of males, but a little lighter and with the presence age spots

over the entire surface of the body. Habitat – coastal zone

Pacific Ocean in South America, as well as the Atlantic - in the south of Brazil. Small groups are found in the Falkland Islands and Galapagos.

Northern view They also have a name - black, or northern. This is explained by both color and habitat. Externally, California sea lions resemble seals, but are much more large mammals . The colonies took possession of the northern Pacific waters. They are characterized by amazing intelligence and high communication skills

Therefore, they are often tamed and trained in a zoo, dolphinarium or circus. New Zealand

The species is named after the lands developed by sea lions (including Snarsky, Auckland and Campbell Islands). Males reach a length of about 2.5 m, and the mane growing on the collar area also gives them massiveness. Females grow up to 2 m and have a more grayish tint. These pinnipeds live in colonies, the numbers of which fluctuate in small numbers. On land they occur in relatively low densities.

They communicate with each other through sounds similar to a lion's roar, but much softer. Streamlined, bulky, but flexible and slender, in comparison with other types of seals, the body of this mammal can reach a length of two or more meters. This figure eloquently demonstrates the impressive

the size of a sea lion . As for weight, males are especially massive, with an impressive three hundred kilograms of living flesh. True, sea lionesses are three times smaller than the male representatives. The usual color of animals is dark or black-brown. How can you be sure

sea lion photo , the head of these aquatic creatures is small; the muzzle is elongated, like that of a dog, with thick whiskers called vibrissae. The animal's eyes are slightly convex,

large sizes. Males that have reached maturity are distinguished by a significantly developed cranial crest, which outwardly looks like a large crest. In addition, males are adorned with a short mane, formed on the neck by hair that is more extensive than that of females. Description of the sea lion cannot be considered complete without the last of the mentioned signs, since it was this that became the reason for the name of this beast, which is very apt in essence, considering that lions

depths of the sea

However, the fur of sea lions is not particularly thick; moreover, it is quite short, so it is considered to be of poorer quality and is valued less than that of family relatives.

Sea lion lifestyle and habitat

Biologists distinguish five types of such animals. One of them is northern sea lion, also called sea lion. This animal is decorated with a golden mane and massive withers. The weight of males of this variety reaches 350 kg.

Sea lion rookeries spread almost along the entire coast of the Pacific Ocean and nearby islands. They are found in water areas Far East, Japan, USA and Canada. When talking about this variety, it is important to mention that it is considered rare and needs protection.

The southern sea lion is a regular on the shores and ocean waters New World, located on the other side of the equator. This species is interesting due to the impressive difference in size between pinniped lions and lionesses.

Male specimens are sometimes about three meters long, while their female counterparts are much smaller. Representatives of the species are light brown in color and do not have a mane.

Sea lion rookery

Inhabitants northern waters Pacific Ocean are representatives of the Californian variety. Such creatures are distinguished by particularly extraordinary intelligence and are easy to train.

From time immemorial, the indigenous inhabitants of the New World hunted these animals, lusting for their meat, fat and skins. And with the arrival of Europeans on the continent, mass hunting soon began, which worsened the situation of the animals. But at present there are strict restrictions on the capture and hunting of these representatives of the fauna.

Individuals of the Australian variety, depending on gender, differ greatly in body color. Males are dark brown, while females are lighter, and often even boast a silver-gray coat color. Another species of these animals is in dire need of protection. Scientists believe that New Zealand sea lions were once much more common in nature than they are now.

But having become a victim of industrial development in the century before last, their population has undergone significant reductions. And in some places of former habitat, for example, on the Auckland Islands, similar look was completely destroyed.

All species of described pinnipeds are distinguished by impressive mental abilities, as evidenced by the highly developed certain parts of their brain. Animals are quite mobile in water, which is the main sea lion habitat, where they are able to show real miracles of acrobatics.

These are, for the most part, inhabitants southern hemisphere, found on open coasts at the foot of oceans and seas, on sandy and rocky beaches, in thickets sea waters weeds.

Spending your life in warm water, they do not need significant reserves of fat, so they have almost no fat layer. This circumstance, as well as the low quality of their wool, made hunting for the animal economically unprofitable, which saved them from mass destruction.

However, many species of sea lions, as already mentioned, still require special protection. These also include, in addition to those already listed, one of the Californian subspecies - Galapagos sea lion.

The mode of existence of such creatures is gregarious, and accumulations of animals in natural environment extremely numerous. They spend a lot of time on land, but sometimes they go out into the open ocean.

While swimming, their forelimbs move quite actively. By rowing in this way, animals move in the ocean waters. They usually roam over distances not exceeding 25 km, and do not make seasonal migrations.

The enemies of animals in nature are and, to which they are regularly attacked. Curious information O sea lions and their proof is very developed intelligence There are separate facts about the appeal of these representatives of the fauna to people on passing ships and yachts for protection from attacks by predators.

Sea lion feeding

The described sea animals are capable of diving to a depth of one hundred meters or more, jumping down from a height of twenty meters. Moving in such conditions with extreme ease and the beauty of a bird's flight in the sky, they hunt fish and crustaceans, eat shellfish, and often raid their prey together. This is especially advisable when large schools of fish appear.

The above indicates that sea lion feeding what the depths of the sea send him, but his diet should be more fully described depending on his habitat.

For example, the food of sea lions often includes: small herring, pollock and capelin, larger halibuts and greenlings, numerous varieties of gobies and, as well as perches, salmon, sand lances and other fish that live in the seas.

To this should be added cephalopods and, in some cases, they serve as food seaweed and even sharks. And male southern sea lions eat not only octopuses and squid, but also hunt penguins. They often take part of the fishermen's catch, damaging their nets.

Reproduction and lifespan of the sea lion

During the mating season, which occurs once a year on the shore in rookeries, sea lions behave much calmer than, for example, fur seals or elephants. Occupying a certain area and protecting its borders from the encroachments of strangers, male sea lion Although it often gets into fights with fellow competitors, defending its rights to a harem, sometimes consisting of a dozen, and often more, females, there are usually no fierce bloody battles.

Pictured is a sea lion with a baby

True, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, young male southern sea lions, when they become adults, patrol the harems of the older generation in search of girlfriends. As a result of such attacks, very violent clashes often arise, and the losers receive bloody deep wounds.

In a harem, individuals that do not participate in reproduction usually stay at the edges of the area, occupying a separate place in the rookery. A female sea lions after mating, they carry their cubs for a whole year in order to immediately become pregnant again and, after a one-year period, give birth to offspring again.

The owner of the harem is vigilant to ensure that his favorites do not look elsewhere and do not have relationships with rivals. But, meanwhile, they are ready to do this at any moment, constantly looking at the property of other males.

Pictured is a baby sea lion

Immediately after birth, sea lion cubs have golden fur and weigh about 20 kg. For the first few days, they do not leave their mothers, who protect them. But after the next mating, which can occur a week after birth, they begin to gradually lose interest in the cubs and go to sea for a long time in search of food. However, mother sea lions continue to feed their offspring with milk, which has up to 30% fat content, for about six months.

Gradually, the young animals begin to form their own groups and thus learn the wisdom of life, growing to puberty in bachelor flocks. Before the males, the females mature, joining the harem of one of the husbands at the age of two or three years.

Males, competing with each other for the attention of their chosen ones, have a more difficult time finding the opportunity to have the desired harem, so they acquire their own females no earlier than five years of age. On average, the lifespan of sea lions is about two decades.

Amazing animals known as sea lions are found mainly in places where there are almost no people. They prefer harsh places, where they, however, easily manage to survive, and the only thing that really poses a threat to them is man and his activities. Due to the spread of civilization, their habitat is steadily shrinking, which threatens the existence of the entire species.

Biologists classify sea lions as seals (see).
There are five species of these animals in total. They differ quite greatly from each other.
The largest sea lions live in northern seas. They reach a length of three meters and a weight of one ton.
During one meal, a sea lion absorbs an amount of food equal to 5-7% of its own weight. They feed mainly on fish (see).
Diving underwater, they store oxygen not only in the blood, but also in muscle tissue. On average, an adult sea lion can stay underwater for up to 25-30 minutes. However, usually these animals come up for air much more often.
These live amazing creatures quite a long time - twenty to thirty years.
Sea lions are able to swim across seas and oceans. During their journey, they cover distances of thousands of kilometers.
The females of these animals bear their young for twelve months.
Fat reserves allow sea lions to go without food for several months without harm to their health.
From point of view industrial production these animals are of no interest to anyone, but due to pollution environment And global changes climate, their population may soon decline to alarmingly low levels.
Every year about one hundred thousand people visit nature reserve in Australia with one purpose - to look at sea lions in wildlife(cm. ).
In the Galapagos Islands, it is the sea lion that plays the role of symbol, and not the iguanas for which these islands are famous.
The sharp teeth of these animals are used by them only to catch and tear apart prey. They then swallow it in large pieces without chewing.
The average swimming speed of a sea lion is about 15-17 km/h, but if necessary, they can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h in the water. On land, these animals are, of course, much more clumsy.
Sea lions are capable of diving to depths of 250-300 meters. No diver can do this without a special hard suit, dome or other equipment - the pressure at such depths is already too high.
The females of these animals are usually significantly smaller in size than the males.

Steller sea lion is a large and majestic animal from the family of eared seals. It received its second name in the 18th century, when the German explorer Georg Wilhelm Steller, for the first time seeing this huge seal with a massive withers and neck, resembling a mane from a distance, and hearing its bass roar, compared it in his notes to a lion. Subsequently, this species began to be called in honor of its discoverer: Steller’s northern sea lion.

Description of sea lion

The sea lion is the largest animal from the subfamily of sea lions, which, in turn, belongs to the family of eared seals. This powerful, but at the same time, graceful animal, living in the north of the Pacific region, was a valuable commercial species in the past, but currently hunting for sea lions has been completely stopped.

Appearance

The size of adult individuals of this species, depending on gender, can reach 300-350 cm in males and 260 cm in females. The weight of these animals is also significant: from 350 to 1000 kg.

The head of the sea lion is rounded and relatively small in relation to the strong and powerful neck and massive body. The muzzle is wide, slightly upturned, vaguely reminiscent of the muzzle of a pug or bulldog. The ears are low set, round and very small in size.

The eyes are dark, rather protruding, widely spaced, not too large, but at the same time expressive. The color of the sea lion's eyes is brownish, mostly dark shades.

The nose is a couple of shades darker than the main coat color, large, with wide nostrils in the shape of an elongated oval. The vibrissae are long and quite rigid. In some large individuals their length can reach 60 cm.

The body is fusiform, thick and massive in the anterior part, but strongly tapering downward. The flippers are strong and powerful, allowing the animal to move on land, relying on them and necessary for swimming in the sea.

The coat is short and stiff, from a distance it looks soft and plush, but, in fact, it is quite prickly and consists mainly of awns. The undercoat, if any, is not too thick and of insufficient quality. The hard hair protects the body of the sea lion from sharp stones when moving on land. On the skin of these animals you can often see areas with worn-out fur, which is precisely the result of the skin of sea lions coming into contact with an uneven rocky surface.

The males of this species have a kind of mane on the neck, formed by elongated hair. The mane of sea lions is not only a decorative “decoration” and a sign of the courage of its owner, but also protective device, protecting males from serious bites by rivals during fights.

The body color of northern Steller sea lions depends on the age of the animal and the time of year. Steller sea lions are born almost black, in adolescence the color of their coat becomes light brown. As the animal grows further, its fur lightens even more. IN winter time In the summer, the color of sea lions becomes similar to the color of milk chocolate, but in the summer it lightens to straw with a slight touch of a brownish tint.

The color of the coat, as a rule, is not entirely uniform: on the animal’s body there are areas of different shades of the same color. Thus, usually, the upper part of the body of sea lions is lighter than the lower part, and the flippers, noticeably darkening already near the base, darken downwards to a blackish-brown color. At the same time, some adult individuals of this species look noticeably darker than others, which is most likely their individual feature, not related to gender, age, or habitat.

Behavior, lifestyle

The annual cycle in the life of these animals is divided into two periods: nomadic, also called nomadic, and rookery. At the same time, during the nomadic period, sea lions do not go far into the sea and always return to the shore after short and short migrations. These animals are strongly attached to certain areas of their habitat and try not to leave them for long.

In early spring, when breeding time comes, sea lions come ashore in order to have time to occupy the best areas of the rookery. First, only males appear on the shore, between whom the territory is divided at the rookery. Having occupied a suitable part of the rookery, each of them protects his area from the encroachments of rivals, warning them with an aggressive roar that the owner will not give up his territory without a fight.

Females appear later, in late spring or early summer. A harem of several (usually 5-20 females) is formed near each of the adult males. As a rule, sea lions establish rookeries on a flat surface and only sometimes at an altitude of 10-15 meters above sea level.

At this time, animals also continue to zealously protect their territory, often showing aggression towards rivals.

In addition to “family” harems, sea lions also have “bachelor” rookeries: they are formed by young males who have not yet reached the age suitable for reproduction. Sometimes they are joined by males who have become too old and no longer have the opportunity to resist younger rivals, as well as sexually mature males who, for some reason, did not have time to acquire a harem.

At the rookery, male sea lions behave restlessly: they roar, and their roar, reminiscent of a lion's roar or a steamship whistle, carries far across the surrounding area. Females and cubs also make noise various sounds: the roar of the first is like the mooing of a cow, and the cubs bleat like sheep.

Sea lions show distrust of people and can even be aggressive. It is practically impossible to capture this animal alive, as they fight to the last. This is why sea lions are almost never kept in captivity. However, there is a known case when Steller's northern sea lion became friends with people and even came to their tent for a treat.

How long do sea lions live?

The lifespan of sea lions is approximately 25-30 years.

Sexual dimorphism

Males of this species are noticeably larger than females: males can be 2 or even almost 3 times heavier than females and be almost twice as long.

Females have lighter bones, thinner bodies, narrower necks and chests, and their heads are more graceful and not as round as those of males. The mane of elongated hair on the neck and scruff of the neck is absent in females.

Another sexual difference- these are the sounds that these animals make. The roar of males is louder and more booming, reminiscent of a lion's roar. Females moo like cows.

Range, habitats

In Russia, sea lions can be found on the Kuril and Commander Islands, Kamchatka and in the Sea of Okhotsk. In addition, northern sea lions live throughout almost the entire North Pacific Ocean. In particular, they can be seen off the coast of Japan, Canada and the USA.

Steller sea lions prefer to settle in coastal subarctic waters, in areas with cool and temperate climate. Occasionally during their migrations they swim further south: in particular, they were seen off the coast of California.

Coming ashore, sea lions establish rookeries in flat areas located close to reefs and rocks, which are natural barriers to storm waves or allow animals to hide between piles of stones during the rampant sea elements.

Sea lion diet

The basis of the diet is mollusks - both bivalves and cephalopods, such as squid or octopus. They also eat sea lions and fish: herring, capelin, greenlings, sea bass, cod, gobies.

When chasing prey, a sea lion can dive to a depth of 100-140 meters, and, seeing a school of fish from the shore, dive into the water from steep bank 20-25 meters high.

Reproduction and offspring

Mating season for northern Steller sea lions begins in the spring. At this time, they leave the sea and, coming to land, form harems there, when several females gather around one male. During the division of territory preceding the formation of harems, there are bloody fights and seizures of foreign territory. But after females appear on the shore, the struggle for the best areas of the rookery stops. The males, who did not manage to seize their territory, retire to another rookery, organized by males who did not find females; for those who remained in the common rookery, the breeding season begins.

The female sea lion bears her offspring for about a year, and the next spring, a few days after arriving at the rookery, she gives birth to one rather large cub, whose weight already reaches about 20 kg. At birth, the baby is covered with short, dark or, less commonly, sandy-colored hair.

The cubs, or sea lion puppies as they are also called, look quite attractive: they have round heads with wide-set expressive eyes, a short, slightly upturned muzzle and small round ears that make them look a little like teddy bears.

Already a week after the birth of the cub, the female mates again with the male, after which she returns to caring for the existing baby. She feeds and diligently protects him from strangers, and therefore at this time she can be quite aggressive.

Males, as a rule, do not show hostility towards cubs. But sometimes sea lions also have cases of cannibalism, when adult males eat other people’s puppies. Scientists find it difficult to say why this happens: perhaps the fact is that these adult individuals for some reason cannot hunt in the sea. Also among possible reasons Such atypical behavior for sea lions is also called mental abnormalities that occur in individual animals of this species.

Harems break up in midsummer, after which the cubs live and hunt together with their parents in a common herd.

Before three months females teach them to swim and get food on their own, after which young sea lions can do this very well themselves. However, young individuals remain with their mothers for a very long time: up to 4 years. In this case, females become sexually mature by 3-6 years, and males by 5-7 years of age.

Among sea lions there is a phenomenon that can very rarely be observed in other mammals: females, whose daughters have already managed to give birth to offspring, still continue to feed them with their milk.