Sea Lions - the Eared Seals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sea lions have tusks while seals do not.

The easiest way to distinguish between seals and sea lions is to check for the presence of ear flaps. Sea lions have external ear flaps covering their pinnae while seals only have a tiny opening. Hence, sea lions are classified as 'eared seals'. The flaps are turned with their opening downward so that water doesn't enter their ears. Neither sea lions nor seals have tusks. Walruses are the only pinnipeds with tusks.
In addition, the rear flippers of seals point backward while those of sea lions point forward.

Answer: True

The vibrissae (whiskers) of sea lions are very sensitive to changes in pressure and help them to find their way in the dark. As a result, even blind sea lions are able to hunt for themselves.

Answer: Steller sea lion

The Steller sea lion species is named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German zoologist who first wrote about them in 1741. Though not the largest pinnipeds, (they are smaller than walruses and elephant seals) they are the largest members of the eared seal family. They also have thick, hairy necks that resemble a lion's mane.

Answer: A raft

During mating season, adult males called bulls try to coerce as many female cows as possible to form their harems. The largest and strongest bulls maintain their harems while the remaining bulls called bachelors are driven elsewhere. Like most mammals, sea lions are polygynous.
A group of sea lions gathered on land or an ice floe are known as a colony.

Answer: True

The cows in the harem are not loyal and may easily switch their affections to any of the other bulls. If a harem is broken up during a storm, the male rarely recovers all of his mates. Thus, the bulls have to spend all their time protecting their territory and retaining their mates which leaves them with no time to feed.

Answer: Lanugo

Sea lions usually give birth to only one pup a year. The lanugo is a thick coat of hair which helps to keep the pup warm till it develops a layer of blubber.

Answer: The stones help to retain water in the body.

Some other theories are that they help to grind fish or help ward off hunger pangs when the animals are fasting on the shore. The stones may also have been swallowed by accident and be of no use at all.

Answer: False

Though it was earlier thought to be true, it has now been determined that the sea lion's milk contains 0.6% lactose. The main protein present in the milk is casein.

Answer: Nocardiosis

Leptospirosis causes renal disease and abortions in California sea lions. Sea lions also have the highest rate of cancer among marine mammals. This is due to the presence of chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the ocean sediment which may be accidentally ingested by these mammals. The sea lion hepatitis virus is caused by an adenovirus.
Nocardia has been detected only in cetaceans among marine mammals. It's a bacterial disease which may lead to encephalitis (acute brain inflammation) or mastitis (inflammation of the mammalian breast).

Answer: Japanese sea lion

The Japanese sea lion is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of the California sea lion. It became extinct in the 1950s. They were found along the coast of the Sea of Japan.
The Steller sea lion is endangered while the New Zealand sea lion is listed as vulnerable.