Annika Stellar Sea Lion
CLASSIFICATION

GENERAL INFO

SPECIAL FEATURES

HABITAT

DIET

REPRODUCTION


BODY SYSTEMS


HUMAN IMPACT


WEBLINKS

SOURCES

 

 

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family:Otariidae
Genus species: Eumetopias jubatus


Left: Woody. Male Stellar Sea lion in captiviy at Sealife Center in Seward Alaska, 2008 by: Annika Dixon

Right: Steller Sea Lions sun bathing on rocky shore in Resurrection Bay, Alaska 2009 


GENERAL INFO


Adults are normally a pale yellow or almost reddish color, which is lighter than the pups. Pups are born black or very dark brown. They average 50 pounds at birth! Females growth slows after the fifth year, unlike males, which stop growing near their eighth year. Males are much bigger than fem ales, most like any other mammal (ha-ha), averaging anywhere from 1300 to 2500 pounds! Females average a 660 to 800 pounds.

In the wild females live an average of 30 years, while males live an average of 18 (mostly due to fighting during breeding season).

SPECIAL FEATURES

 Stellar sea lions are the largest of all the sea lions.

Latin name means “manned one with broad forehead.” Named so because the animal has a very broad, high-set forehead (more so in the males) and a slightly thicker tuft of hair around their necks.

Sadly, stellar sea lions are on the endangered species list.

Stellar is a pretty cool name, huh? Stellar sea lion. What other animal has stellar in the name? That only makes these big guys sound awesome. Well, like anything else they were named after someone. Luckily Georg Wilhelm Stellar, who was the first to describe these beasts in writing, had a cool last name

Also called the Northern Sea Lion.

Stellar sea lions can turn their hind flippers forward for walking on land, unlike most other sea lions.

.

Above: Steller sea lion in captivity, on a rock 'roaring.' This photo was taken at the Sealife Center in Seward, Alaska 2008 by: Annika Dixon

HABITAT


Steller sea lions only have one habit. If these mammals aren't spending time in artic ocean waters, they live on rocky island shores and beaches. In fact, steller sea lions have a fairly small range,
especially for a migratory animal.Steller sea lions make their home, both summer and winter, in the waters of northern China to northern California, and go no further north than the article circle. The majority of the steller sea lion population is found along the islands in the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Kurlie and Commander Islands.

Above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eumetopias_jubatus_distribution2.jpg

Above: Steller Sea Lions sun bathing on rocky shore in Resurrection Bay, Alaska 2009 by: Annika Dixon

DIET


Sea lions are carnivores, and famously skilled fishers. These lions eat from the wide range of fish that can be found in the northern waters they occupy. Primarily, walley, pollock, Atka mackerel, halibut, herring, capelin, flatfish, flounder, salmon, smelt, trout, Pacific cod, rockfish, and sculpins make up their fish diet. They also eat a variety of cepholpods such as squids and octopi.

Above: http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/sea-lion-encounter/fact

REPRODUCTION

Ever heard of a rookery? A rookery is a colony area for breeding, in this case, for the steller sea lions. Breeding normally takes place in May, on rookeries, which can normally be found on small islands or isolated beaches. Before baby making can began, males must hold their terriorty on a beach.Generally the older, larger males win their terriorty by fighting. Normally males aren't able to breed until eight years of age-at the least-because of this. Many males go over a month without eating to defend their territory.

When females arrive to breed, they move freely about the established territories. Females began to reproduce at the age of five. Stellars often only have one pup at a time. Females will mate as soon as a week after giving birth! While breeding takes place in May, the rookies are where most the lion's time is spent. By the end of August the lions began spending more time in the water again.

Females regonize their young by smell. Pretty cool, huh? And they bring back their pup fresh food, every single day.

.

Above: Steller sea lion pup http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/seals_sea_lions/steller_sea_lion.html

Above: Steller sea lions preparing to spar: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/steller-sea-lion/

Above: Steller sea lions at Benjamin Island haulout - Juneau, Alaska. By:Greg Bledsoe http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/

BODY SYSTEMS
Stellar sea lions are endothermic. 

Stellars have whiskers on their muzzle.

Flippers are hairless and black. They molt every year, just like most other pinnipeds.

They are able to live on both water and land.

Above: Steller Sea Lion in Oregon zoo, swimming http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/Steller_cove/sealion.htm

 

HUMAN IMPACT
Regrettably, stellar sea lions are on the endagered species list. The western stock, which is the population living in the Gulf of Alaska and along the Aleutian Islands has dropped 75% since 1976. There are about 39,000-45,000 Steller sea lions in the Western U.S. and 44,500-48,000 in the Eastern U.S

Before the Endagered Species Act was ratified sea lions were hunted for their whiskers, which was used as pipe cleaners, and their penises were used as aphrodisiacs in Chinese medicine.

Overfishing is guessed to be the main cause as population decline among the lions. Other scientists believe over preditation of ocras are causing the drop. Whatever the reason, many Marine biologists have been studying these mammals closly in the last decade. The Sealife Center in Seward, Alaska has constant video feed of over ten rookeries in the area for safety servallence. 

.

Above: stellar sea lion population chart http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm

Above: Woody, stellar sea lion in captivity at the Sealife Center in Seward, Alaska. Device on his head is for rehabilitation. By: Annika Dixon 2008

WEBLINKS

http://www.alaskasealife.org/

SOURCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller_sea_lion

http://www.seaotter-sealion.org/stellersealion/factsssl.html

http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/Steller_cove/sealion.htm

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/habitat.htm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/steller-sea-lion/

http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm

Sea lion photo: By Annika Dixon

Sea lions on shore photo: by Annika Dixon

Sea lion on rock photo: by Annika Dixon

Sea lions on shore photo: by Annika Dixon

Range photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eumetopias_jubatus_distribution2.jpg

Sea lion eating photo: http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/sea-lion-encounter/fact

Sea lion pup photo: http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/seals_sea_lions/steller_sea_lion.html

Sea lions sparring photo: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/steller-sea-lion/

Photo of rookery: http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/ By:Greg Bledsoe

Swimming lion photo: http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/Steller_cove/sealion.htm

Population chart: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm

Photo of sea lion: by Annika Dixon