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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing sea lions. Sea lions are pinnipeds and are related to fur seals, walruses, and true seals. Technically any pinniped can be called "seal" so a sea lion is a seal, but they have some distinguishing characteristics from "true" seals. Along with fur seals, who are also not "true" seals, sea lions are also known as eared seals. They have tiny external ears that are absent in "true" seals. Sea lions also have long front flippers and can tuck their rear flippers under them to walk on all four limbs on land. They can even run if needed! "True" seals are also known as crawling seals because they do not walk on all fours on land, thus separating them from sea lions. So sea lions can be dogs and “true” seals are always logs.

There are six living sea lion species, and together with the furred seals they range from arctic to antarctic coasts making them some of the most widely distributed carnivores alive today. They are, however, noticeably absent from the northern Atlantic ocean and most of the Indian ocean. Sea lions living closer to the equator are smaller than their cold water dwelling counterparts. In size, these vertebrates range from five feet, in the smallest Galapagos sea lion, to over ten feet (1.5-3m), in the largest Seller's sea lion. They range from under 200 to over 2,000 pounds (90-900kg) in weight. That's more than two adult leopard seals at the sea lion's biggest size! Of course, that's specifically the males. Male sea lions are larger than females, more than doubling to quadrupling the ladies in weight in some species. Males often have a mane like a terrestrial male lion, hence the common name, and may have darker fur than the females, as well. All sea lions have short, coarse fur.

Sea lions are aquatic mammals. They live in colonies that can contain hundreds of members, and they split their time between diving in marine waters and hauling up on shore. Some have even taken over human made areas such as docks, piers, and abandoned boats! New Zealand sea lions travel more than a mile (1.6km) to inland forests to give birth and raise pups, and Australian sea lions will climb up sheer rocky cliffs to reach vegetation coverage in stormy weather! Most sea lions, however, stick to sandy beaches or rocky outcrops and dive no deeper than 650 feet (200m) below sea level. However, these impressive seals can dive much deeper. Sea lions can reduce the amount of oxygen their body uses while diving and diminish gas exchange, so they don't have to worry about pressure sickness, like the bends, when they come up from deep dives. These deep dives can reach over 1,000 feet (300m) below the waves! That's as deep as some giant isopods live! While diving, sea lions can swim 20 miles per hour (32kmh).

Seal lions do most of their hunting in water. These carnivores eat fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, but they will also take shorebirds and eat from their nests if the need arises, and the largest species eat other seals! Sea lions actively hunt their prey and tend to swallow it whole. On average, they’ll eat 20 pounds (9kg) of food each time they dine! They have reflected eyes like a cat so they can see even in the dark depths. Their whiskers also help for tactile sensory input so they can feel around in the dark. They can hold their breath for minutes at a time, but must return to the surface for air. Like other marine mammals, sea lions have a thick layer of blubber to keep them insulated from the cold. In fact, when they get too hot, they can be seen sticking their flippers out of the water to cool off much like someone kicking their foot out from under the covers in bed! Sea lion predators include orcas and sharks. On land they can be taken by cougars and domestic dogs. Humans also pose a threat to sea lions by accidentally catching them in fishing operations and destroying their breeding habitat.

Most sea lions remain in the same place year round, but California sea lions migrate to warmer waters to breed. They tend to breed during their respective summer months, so those in the southern hemisphere breed during December and January; Australian sea lions, however, have a non-annual breeding season so they reproduce approximately every seventeen months. Male sea lions come to shore first to establish territories at breeding beaches. These are known as rookeries. Like the walrus, male sea lions, who are known as bulls, fight each other for reproductive rights. These fights can lead to injuries and even death, but most of the time the bulls are using their bulk to push each other around in shoving matches. They’re so determined to keep their territory that they’ll go up to a month without eating just so they don’t have to leave their prime spot. Males that aren’t able to win a match form bachelor groups and live on the outskirts of the rookery. The females, who are known as cows, follow days to weeks later depending on the species. They give birth shortly after returning to land. These babies, who are known as pups, are from last year's breeding season. A female will spend about a week nursing her newborn before leaving to mate and eat for the first time since giving birth. She returns a day or two later and finds her baby by smell and sound. Sea lions make many vocalizations to communicate. Here are some sea lion sounds.

It takes about a month for baby seal lions to start swimming regularly, and they'll stick with their mom for at least half a year, though observations suggest they may remain with their mothers until the next breeding season and even some time after! Sea lions moms have been known to nurse both a newborn and previous year's pup at the same time! On average, sea lions live to be twenty years old.

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