What is the difference between sea lions seals and walruses?
These are the main differences between sea lions, seals and walruses : Regarding size, by far, the walruses are the largest of the three, while the smaller ones are the seals. Sea lions are the most social of the three. In addition, the walruses have large fangs that do not have seals or sea lions.
What type of animal is a sea lion?
Seals, sea lions, and walruses belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds, referring to their flippered feet. Seals (true seals or earless seals) have no external ear flaps. In Alaska we have a number of seal species including harbor seals, bearded seals, ribbon seals, ringed seals, and spotted seals.
Is a walrus a pinniped?
Walrus are the largest pinniped. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Joel Garlich-Miller Seals, sea lions, and walruses belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds, referring to their flippered feet. Seals (true seals or earless seals) have no external ear flaps.
How many species of walruses are there?
Walrus belong to the Family: Odobenidae of the Order: Carnivora, and it is the only species of this family, but there are three subspecies of walruses. These three subspecies are known as Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), and Laptevi walrus (O. r.laptevi).
Is a walrus a seal or sea lion?
It's easy to tell the enormous, tusked walrus from other pinnipeds, but seals and sea lions are easy to confuse. The easiest way is to look at their ears—sea lions have small ear flaps while seal ears are nothing but small holes.
Why walrus is called a sea lion?
Sea lions and walrus belong to the same group of animals known as Pinnipeds. Though sea lions and walrus are both winged foot animals, they differ widely in their body features and habitat. There is no difficulty in differentiating a sea lion from a walrus.
How are walruses seals and sea lions alike?
Both seals and sea lions, together with the walrus, are pinnipeds, which means "fin footed" in Latin. But seals' furry, generally stubby front feet — thinly webbed flippers, actually, with a claw on each small toe — seem petite in comparison to the mostly skin-covered, elongated fore flippers that sea lions possess.
What animal is walrus?
walrus, (Odobenus rosmarus), also called morse, huge, seal-like mammal found in Arctic seas. There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens). Male Pacific walrus are slightly larger, with longer tusks.
Why do sea lions cry?
There are many stories out there about seeing Sea Lions crying. What is actually taking place is that they have tear ducts to help remove the salt water from their eyes. They do have decent eyesight but it is believed that they are nearsighted.
What are female sea lions called?
cowsOnce a sea lion becomes sexually mature, at around age four or five, they are able to breed. Female sea lions are called cows, while males are called bulls. Those who live in Baja, California and southern California establish breeding territories from May through July.
Can a seal and sea lion mate?
In this study, we report the finding of a hybrid adult female between a South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) and a South American sea lion (Otaria byronia), and its offspring, a male pup, in Uruguay.
Are sea lions friendly?
Sea lions are typically not dangerous. They are not aggressive and generally keep to themselves, but as a 600 lbs wild animal they do need to be respected. There have been incidents when sea lions have injured humans.
What's the difference between sea lions and walrus?
Sea lions are members of the Otariidae family, while walruses are members of the Odobenus family. Walruses also grow much larger than sea lions in general, almost double the size when compared to the average sea lion. Finally, sea lions do not have tusks, while this is what walruses are well known for.
Would a walrus hurt a human?
"Walruses do not normally pose a danger to humans as long as you keep your distance. However, when it is disturbed by humans and does not get the rest it needs, it may feel threatened and attack. Nearby people can provoke dangerous situations." Walruses are a protected species in Norway.
What animal kills walruses?
The walrus is a large animal that has only two predators: the polar bear and the orca, or killer whale. Orcas attack walruses that are in the water, and polar bears attack them on land or on ice floes. Polar bears usually avoid tackling adult walruses because they fear being injured by their long tusks.
Is a walrus related to a dog?
While the exact ancestral link is unknown and widely debated, science can and does tell us that both dogs and seals are members of the same taxonomic suborder of the animal kingdom. Seals, sea lions, and walruses are all considered pinnipeds and belong to the suborder Caniformia (meaning “doglike”).
Why is it called sea lion?
From sea + lion, named from its marine habitat and its lion-like barking roar and mane. Compare Middle English see hound, cee-hound, se hound (“beaver”, literally “sea-hound”).
What does it mean to be called a sea lion?
(Internet slang, derogatory) To intrude on a conversation with disingenuous questions in an attempt to engage in unwanted debate as a form of harassment.
Where does the sea lion get its name?
Adult males do not have a visible sagittal crest (the bump on the top of their heads) as is seen in adult male California sea lions. Adult male Steller sea lions have a bulky build and a very thick neck with longer fur that resembles a lion's mane, hence the name "sea lion."
Who named the sea lion?
Georg Wilhelm StellerBoth the bird and the sea lion are native to the West Coast and named for Georg Wilhelm Steller, an 18th-century German botanist, zoologist, physician, and explorer. Steller found his jay on what amounted to an extended water break.
What are the animals that have no external ear flaps?
Seals, sea lions, and walruses belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds, referring to their flippered feet. Seals (tru e seals or earless seals) have no external ear flaps. In Alaska we have a number of seal species including harbor seals, bearded seals, ribbon seals, ringed seals, and spotted seals.
What animal has a large front flap?
Sea lions and fur seals belong to the group of eared seals, that have external ear flaps. They also have large front flippers and walk with all four flippers under their bodies. Steller sea lions are the largest in the family.
What is the largest pinniped?
Walrus are the largest pinnipeds, with some males registering over 3,000 pounds. They are unique with their large tusks and vaccuum-like mouths that can suck up shellfish from the ocean floor. Walrus haul out in large aggregations.
What are the three subspecies of walrus?
These three subspecies are known as Atlantic walrus ( O. r. rosmarus ), Pacific walrus ( O. r. divergens ), and Laptevi walrus ( O. r. laptevi ). All those walruses are distinguishable from the presence of the tusks, which is their most distinctive feature. In addition, their whiskers are prominent, and the great bulky body are important ...
Where do walrus live?
They live in the arctic waters of the North Pole. Walrus belong to the Family: Odobenidae of the Order: Carnivora, and it is the only species of this family, but there are three subspecies of walruses. These three subspecies are known as Atlantic walrus ( O. r. rosmarus ), Pacific walrus ( O. r. divergens ), and Laptevi walrus ( O. r. laptevi ). All those walruses are distinguishable from the presence of the tusks, which is their most distinctive feature. In addition, their whiskers are prominent, and the great bulky body are important to consider. A walrus usually weighs over 1,700 kilograms, and which is seconds only to the elephant seals among pinnipedian species. However, sometimes there are males weighing up to 2,000 kilograms as well as females of 800 kilograms. That suggests the female walruses are usually smaller and lighter than males. They are excellent swimmers with forelimbs modified into flippers and the presence of a fatty fin-like tail. However, despite being marine mammals, much of their time is spent on the ice. They mainly feed on the benthic molluscs, shrimp, crab, tubeworms, corals, sea cucumbers, and many other pinnipedian body parts. They are grazing marine mammals, which serves the marine ecosystem to be highly nutritious via enabling the nutrients to be released into the water after disturbing the seafloor by walruses.
How much does a walrus weigh?
In addition, their whiskers are prominent, and the great bulky body are important to consider. A walrus usually weighs over 1,700 kilograms, and which is seconds only to the elephant seals among pinnipedian species. However, sometimes there are males weighing up to 2,000 kilograms as well as females of 800 kilograms.
How loud are sea lions?
Around five years of age, there will be a bump on top of the head of males called the sagittal crest. Sea lions are usually 2 –3 metreslong and have their bodyweights ranging from 200 to1000 kilograms.
What is the order of a sea lion and a walrus?
Walrus vs Sea Lion. Walrus and sea lion belong to the same Superfamily: Pinnipedia under the Order: Carnivora. These are two distinctive animals with some characteristics features from both animals to make each one unique in the animal kingdom.
What do walruses eat?
They mainly feed on the benthic molluscs, shrimp, crab, tubeworms, corals, sea cucumbers, and many other pinnipedian body parts. They are grazing marine mammals, which serves the marine ecosystem to be highly nutritious via enabling the nutrients to be released into the water after disturbing the seafloor by walruses.
How many feet can a pinnipedian walk?
Additionally, their ability to walk on the ground by all four feet with the use of long forelimbs is another distinguishing feature among many pinnipedian species, and which has caused them to spend more time on land than in sea.
What are the three super families of sea lions?
Within this super family, the three are divided into three families: the otaridos (sea lions), the phocidae (seals) and the Odobenidae (walruses).
What are the differences between a seal and a sea lion?
As we see, these three families have common characteristics and others that differentiate them. These are the main differences between sea lions, seals and walruses : 1 Regarding size, by far, the walruses are the largest of the three, while the smaller ones are the seals. 2 Sea lions are the most social of the three. 3 In addition, the walruses have large fangs that do not have seals or sea lions. 4 Sea lions have more fur on their bodies, small ears and live seasonally on land. 5 The seals do not have ears, they have small holes in view that are the entrance to their ears, but they have hind limbs backwards, which make them very adapted to the aquatic environment.
What are the characteristics of a walrus?
The walruses are pinniped marine mammals of the odobenidae family. Both females and males, have large and long fangs (longer in males), which they use to defend themselves, fight during the heat and to move in wooded and frozen areas.
What is the name of the animal that lacks an auditory pinna?
Seals are marine mammals called pinnipeds of the family of phocids, very adapted to aquatic life, although they can also live brief periods on land. They are animals that lack an auditory pinna or ears and with rear ends facing back, which serve to swim. It is precisely these extremities that differentiate them from sea lions.
What do squid eat?
Its diet is carnivorous, it feeds on squid, penguins, fish, pups of seals or birds and its main predators are killer whales and great sharks.
Which animal is the largest of the three?
Regarding size, by far, the walruses are the largest of the three, while the smaller ones are the seals. Sea lions are the most social of the three. In addition, the walruses have large fangs that do not have seals or sea lions. Sea lions have more fur on their bodies, small ears and live seasonally on land.
Why do sea lions have a body?
As we said at the beginning, the sea lion is a pinniped mammal . The sea lion has a body very adapted to conserve heat, since it lives submerged at very low temperatures. This characteristic is due to a thick layer of fat under the skin that serves to store energy, but also for swimming.
Who would win in a fight a walrus or an elephant seal?
These animals would likely not fight one another, but many argue that the walrus would likely win. Walruses have tusks to defend themselves, and males often weigh in at over 3,000 pounds. Elephant seals are massive (males weigh around 3,700 pounds) with very sharp, jagged teeth.
What is the name of the seal that hangs from the face?
The Elephant Seal is aptly named — if you ever see one, you will first notice the trunk-like nose that hangs from the face of these huge seals. They use their nose to make a loud roar, typically during mating rituals.
What is the skin of a walrus used for?
Despite this, they were hunted aggressively throughout the 18 th and 19 th centuries for their blubber and ivory. The skin of the walrus is used for rope, while the tusks continue to be coveted for ivory.
What is the only member of the Odobenus family?
The only member of the sub-family or genus, Odobenus, is the walrus. In this group, you will find two subspecies, the Pacific Walrus and the Atlantic Walrus .
Which is faster, elephant seal or walrus?
Elephant seals are faster on land than other members of the family and can be slightly more aggressive than a walrus.
How much does a Pacific male weigh?
Adult Pacific males can weigh more than 3,000 pounds- and in the family of pinnipeds, they are the largest member with the exception of the Elephant seal.
How big do squid get?
The males have been known to grow up to 14 feet long, while the females of the species typically max out at around 11 feet long. Some males have tipped the scale at nearly 5,000 pounds!
