South American Sea Lion

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South American Sea Lion Conservation status: Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Otariidae Subfamily: Otariinae Genus: Otaria Péron, 1816 Species: O. flavescens
Binomial name
Otaria flavescens (Shaw, 1800)
Synonyms
Otaria byronia (de Blainville, 1820)

The South American Sea Lion or Southern Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens, previously Otaria bryonia) is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan and Argentine coasts. They are perhaps the archetypal sea lion in appearance - they have a very large head with an upturned snout. Both males and females are orange-coloured. The manes on males are lighter than females, and female fur on the head and neck is lighter than that of males.

The South American Sea Lion's size and weight can vary quite a lot. Adult males have an average length of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and an average weight of about 300 kg (660 lb). Adult females have an average length of 1.8–2 m (6–7 ft) and usually weigh about half the weight of the males, around 150 kg (330 lb).

[edit] References

• Seal Specialist Group (1996). Otaria flavescens. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Randall R. Reeves, Brent S. Stewart, Phillip J. Clapham and James A. Powell (2002). National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0375411410.
• Otaria flavescens (TSN 180619). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

male sea lion