South american sea lion

Otaria byronia

The picture is a portrait of a south american sea lion. The seal has long whiskers and small ears behind the large eyes. IUCN Red List endangerment category: Least concern
  • Family
    Eared Seals (Otariidae)
  • Weight
    ♀: 140 – 150 kg, ♂: 200 – 350 kg
  • Habitat
    Pacific and Atlantic coasts and beaches

Well insulated

South American sea lions have a thick layer of fat under the skin known as blubber. The 7 – 10 cm thick blubber provides good thermal insulation and adds buoyancy in the water. The sea lion also has a thick fur coat, which is covered in oil secreted from the skin. The oil waterproofs the fur and keeps the skin dry, even underwater.

The image shows a south american sea lion standing in profile and looking to the left side of the image.

Fin-footed

The Latin name for seals is Pinnipedia, which means fin-footed (from pinna “fin” and pes “foot”). The limbs of an eared seal resemble fins and allow it to propel itself in water as well as walk across land.

Webcam South American Sea Lion enclosure 

In Chile, vampire bats are known to use their sharp teeth to scrape the skin of South American sea lions and drink small amounts of their blood.

Distribution

Das Verbreitungsgebiet der Mähnenrobben