California Sea Lion

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of five species of sea lion. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of California. Sea lions are sexually dimorphic - males are larger than females, and have a thicker neck and protruding crest. They mainly haul-out on sandy or rocky beaches, but they also frequent manmade environments such as marinas and wharves. Sea lions feed on a number of species of fish and squid, and are preyed on by killer whales and white sharks.

California sea lions have a polygynous breeding pattern. From May to August, males establish territories and try to attract females to mate with. Females are free to move in between territories, and are not coerced by males. Mothers nurse their pups in between foraging trips. Sea lions communicate with numerous vocalizations, notably with barks and mother-pup contact calls. Outside of their breeding season, sea lions spend much of their time at sea, but they come to shore to molt.

Sea lions are particularly intelligent and can be trained to perform various tasks. Because of this, California sea lions are commonly found in public displays in zoos, circuses and oceanariums, where they are known as the classic "seals," and are trained by the US Navy for certain military operations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as Least Concern due to its abundance. Sea lions have been considered threats to endangered salmon at Bonneville Dam, where officials have killed several individual offenders.

Read more about California Sea Lion:  Taxonomy, Appearance, Physiology, and Movement, Intelligence and Trainability, Status

Other articles related to "sea, california sea lion, sea lions, california":

Quartermaster - Scouting
... The Quartermaster Award is also the highest rank in the Sea Scouts, BSA, an older youth (13-21) co-ed program ... the Netherlands the assistant patrol leader of a Sea Scout patrol (Bak), in Flanders it is the patrol leader of a Sea Scout patrol (Kwartier) ...
Maritime Archaeology - Integrating Land and Sea
... As a result, marine channels, navigable rivers and sea crossings formed the trade routes of historic and ancient civilisations ... For example, the Mediterranean Sea was known to the Romans as the inner sea because the Roman empire spread around its coasts ... Wars were fought at sea over the control of important resources ...
Crete - Physical Geography
... largest island in Greece and the second largest in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (after Cyprus) ... It is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea separating the Aegean from the Libyan Sea ...
Amber Road
... for centuries the road led from Europe to Asia and back, and from northern Africa to the Baltic Sea ... An important raw material, amber was transported from the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts overland by way of the Vistula and Dnieper rivers to Italy, Greece, the Black Sea, and ... the Boii (modern Czech Republic and Slovakia) to the head of the Adriatic Sea (modern Gulf of Venice) ...
California Sea Lion - Status
... The IUCN lists the California sea lion as Least Concern due to "its large and increasing population size." The estimated population is 238,000–241,000 for the US or ... Off the US coast, sea lions are so numerous that they are close to carrying capacity, while the Gulf of California population declined by 20% by 2008 ... Sea lions may be killed when in conflict with fishermen, by poaching, and by entanglements in man-made garbage ...

Famous quotes containing the words lion, california and/or sea:

    Even the propagandists on the radio find it very difficult to really say let alone believe that the world will be a happy place, of love and peace and plenty, and that the lion will lie down with the lamb and everybody will believe anybody.
    Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)

    The attraction and superiority of California are in its days. It has better days & more of them, than any other country.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    Light breaks where no sun shines;
    Where no sea runs, the waters of the heart
    Push in their tides;
    Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)