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An eared seal, otariid, or otary is any member of the marine mammal family Otariidae, one of three groupings of pinnipeds.They comprise 15 extant species in seven genera (another species became extinct in the 1950s) and are commonly known either as sea lions or fur seals, distinct from true seals (phocids) and the walrus ().
The South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens, formerly Otaria byronia), also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the western and southeastern coasts of South America. It is the only member of the genus Otaria. The species is highly sexually dimorphic. Males have a large head and prominent mane.
A male California sea lion weighs on average about 300 kg (660 lb) and is about 2.4 m (8 ft) long, while the female sea lion weighs 100 kg (220 lb) and is 1.8 m (6 ft) long. The largest sea lions are Steller's sea lions , which can weigh 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) and grow to a length of 3.0 m (10 ft).
The 34 extant species of Pinnipedia are split into 22 genera within 3 families: Odobenidae, comprising the walrus; Otariidae, the eared seals, split between the sea lions and fur seals; and Phocidae, the earless or true seals. Odobenidae and Otariidae are combined into the superfamily Otarioidea, with Phocidae in Phocoidea
The most common pinniped species kept in captivity is the California sea lion as it is abundant and easy to train. [153] These animals are used to perform tricks and entertain visitors. [ 154 ] Other species popularly kept in captivity include the grey seal and harbor seal.
The seals of the genus Zalophus present a striking sexual dimorphism, since the adult males have a pronounced sagittal crest, and weigh, in the Californian species, between 300 and 380 kg with 240 cm long, and the females 80 to 120 kg with between 180 and 200 cm.
Midge the Sea Lion (1985–2010), a resident of Oklahoma City Zoo; Mum (sea lion), the first sea lion to give birth in mainland New Zealand for over a century. Neil (born 2020), southern elephant seal in Tasmania, Australia. Owha, a leopard seal who resided in the northern North Island of New Zealand.
Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. [1] The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses and sea lions) are also assigned to this group.