Term
| What scientific order do Sea Lions, Seals and Walruses belongs to? |
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Definition
| California Sea Lions, Seals and Walruses belong to the scientific order Pinnipedia. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the ears of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| California Seal Lions have external ear flaps called pinnae while seals and Walruses have pinhole ears with no external ear flaps. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the pelvic girdles of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| Seals have fused pelvic girdles while California Sea Lions Walruses can rotate their pelvic girdle under their body to walk on all fours. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the locomotion on land of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| Seals undulate on their bellies moving in a caterpillar like motion. while California Sea Lions and Walruses can walk on all fours. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the locomotion in the water of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| Seals and Walruses propels themselves by moving their hind flippers from side to side while California Sea Lions use their front flippers much like a bird uses its wings. |
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Term
| Which scientific family do California Sea Lions belong to? |
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Definition
| California Sea Lions belong to the family Otariidae. "Earred Seals" |
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Term
| Which scientific family do Seals belong to? |
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Definition
| Seals belong to the family Phocidae. "True Seals" |
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Term
| Which scientific family do Walruses belong to? |
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Definition
| Walruses belong to the family Odobenidae. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the Socialization of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| Seals are solitary while California Sea Lions and Walruses are social. |
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Term
| Describe the difference in the Vocalizations of PINNIPEDS. |
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Definition
| Seals Hiss and grunt, California Sea Lions Bark and Walruses grunt. |
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Term
| Describe the habitat of the California Sea Lion. |
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Definition
| California Sea Lions inhabit the rocky and sandy beaches of coastal islands and mainland shores from Southern British Columbia to Baja California including the channel islands. |
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Term
| Describe the pectoral (front) flippers of the California Sea Lion. |
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Definition
| California Sea Lions have long winglike pectoral flippers with a bone structure similar to the front limbs of land mammals. The front flippers have no claws. The front flippers are move in an up and down winglike motion used for propulsion. |
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Term
| Describe the hind flippers of California Sea Lions. |
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Definition
| The The hind flippers of California Sea Lions have 5 digits like land mammals. There are visible nails on the 3 middle digits. In the water, the hind flippers are extended and used for steering. On land, the pelvic girdle is rotated under the body and used for walking. |
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Term
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Definition
| Vibrassae are whiskers. They are a tactile organ well supplied with nerves and muscles. California Sea Lions have between 40 and 60 vibrassae. |
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Term
| How do vibrissae aid a California Sea Lion in feeding? |
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Definition
| California Sea Lions use their vibrissae to explore and locate food. |
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Term
| What is a sagittal crest? |
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Definition
| The sagittal or cranial crest is the raised forehead of an adult male. This crest reaches full size at about 10 years of age. |
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Term
| How can you tell the difference between a male and female sea lion? |
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Definition
| Male Sea Lions are up to 4X larger than females. Male reach a weight of up to 880 lbs while females reach up to 240 lbs. Male Sea Lion develop a sagittal crest while females have a smooth forehead. |
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Term
| Which sense is the most important for a sea lion? |
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Definition
| Hearing is the sea lions most important sense. Their hearing is probably acute with good directional ability. |
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Term
| What is tapetum lucidum? How does this adaptation help animals who have this structure? |
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Definition
| The tapetum lucidum is a layer of reflecting plates. They act like mirrors to reflect light back through the retina a second time, increasing the light gathering ability of the rod cells. This helps animals see better in low light environments. |
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Term
| As marine mammals, what aquatic adaptations do pinnipeds have that are similar to cetaceans? |
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Definition
| Swimming - have modified limbs and are very agile and maneuver well in the water. Diving - Special physiological adaptations for diving that allow them to conserve oxygen while under water. |
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Term
| What behavior does a sea lion do in order to thermoregulate in the water. |
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Definition
| Sea Lions lift or expose one or more flippers to thermoregulate in the water. The blood vessels just under the skin dilate and absorb or release heat to the environment. |
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Term
| Describe the sea lion social structure during breeding and non breeding times. |
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Definition
| Sea Lions gather in groups called rookeries during breeding time for pupping and breeding. During non-breeding times, they have no stable social organization. |
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Term
| What does it mean to say Sea Lions are gregarious? |
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Definition
| Sea Lions are gregarious because they live in flocks or loosely organized communities. |
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Term
| What is a raft of sea lions? |
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Definition
| A raft is a small mass of sea lions on the surface of the water in very close proximity. |
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Term
| What method is a sea lions primary means of communication? |
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Definition
| Sea Lion, one of the most vocal mammals, primarily communicate through vocalizations both above and below the water. They use barks, growls and grunts. |
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Term
| How does a female sea lion find her pup when returning to the rookery? |
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Definition
| Mother and pup recognize each other through a series of standard behaviors. As soon as the female returns to the rookery from foraging she vocalizes repeatedly. More than one pup may respond, so she makes the final identification by smelling her pup. |
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Term
| What are some common things a sea lion preys upon? |
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Definition
| Sea Lions prey upon more than 50 species of fish and cephalopods. feeding primarily on squid, octopus, hake, whiting, mackerel, northern anchovy, opaleye, blackfish, rockfish and herring. |
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Term
| During breeding season male sea lions fast. Why? |
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Definition
| During breeding season adult males fast when defending their territories. Leaving their territory to feed would necessitate re-establishing territorial boundaries and would result in lost mating opportunities. This fasting usually last a few weeks. |
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Term
| What is delayed implantation? What is the advantage of this adaptation? |
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Definition
| Delayed implantation is when the fertilized egg divides into a hollow ball of cells one layer thick, it stops growing and floats freely in the uterus. At a later time it implants in the uterine wall and continues to develop. Delayed implantation assures the pup will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival. |
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Term
| Why does a mother sea lion vocalize during and after her pup's birth? |
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Definition
| The mother sea lion vocalizes often during and immediately after the birth of her pup. The pup instinctively replies. This vocal interaction may continue for 20 minutes or more. This helps establish the mother-up bond. The mother may also smell, nuzzle, pull and nip at her pup. |
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Term
| What is the average life span of a sea lion? |
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Definition
| California sea lions probably live an average of 15 to 25 years. California Sea Lions in zoological parks have been known to live 30 years or more. |
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Term
| What law protects sea lions in US waters? |
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Definition
| The US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 protects Sea Lions and all marine mammals in US waters. The MMPA made it illegal to hunt or harass any marine mammal in US waters. The MMPA does allow for certain exceptions: native subsistence hunting, collecting or temporarily restraining marine mammals for research, education and public display, and taking a restricted number of marine mammals incidentally in the course of fishing operations. The primary objective of the MMPA is to maintain the health and stability of the marine ecosystem and to obtain and maintain an optimum sustainable population of marine mammals. |
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Term
| What role do zoological parks have in sea lion conservation? |
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Definition
| Having sea lions at marine zoological parks provides in opportunity for the public to develop an appreciation for these animals and to learn about them and how human activities may impact their survival. |
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