Otariidae (fur seals, sea lions)

Otariidae
There are 14 species in this family. They are found along coastlines around North and South America, Northern and Central Asia, and along the southwest coast of Australia. The have long, fur-covered bodies; external ears; front and rear flippers; and a very short tail. Their front flippers have claws on the end. The species in this family use their front and rear flippers to walk on land and they use their front flippers to propel themselves through the water. The species in this family are very social and live in large groups. They eat fish and crustaceans. In the United States, the species in this family are found along the Pacific Coast.

Otariidae General Resources
Arctocephalus (southern fur seals)
Callorhinus (northern fur seal)
Eumetopias (Steller sea lion)

Neophoca (Australian sea lion)
Otaria (South American sea lion)
Phocarctos (New Zealand sea lion)
Zalophus (California sea lion)

Otariidae General Resources

Arctocephalus (southern fur seals)

Antarctic Fur Seal
Most Antarctic fur seals breed on the island of South Georgia.
Source: Australian Government Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Galápagos Fur Seal
The Galápagos fur seal has a short pointed muzzle, brown fur, and big round eyes.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Galápagos Fur Seal
The Galápagos fur seal is found on the Galápagos Islands and in the surrounding waters.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Galápagos Fur Seal
The Galápagos fur seal is the smallest fur seal species.
Source: BBC Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Guadalupe Fur Seal
The Guadalupe fur seal was once considered extinct.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Guadalupe Fur Seal
Guadalupe fur seals are solitary, non-social animals.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Guadalupe Fur Seal
Guadalupe fur seal eats rockfish and squid.
Source: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Guadalupe Fur Seal
The Guadalupe fur seal has a long pointed muzzle and low sloping forehead.
Source: San Diego Museum of Natural History Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

Guadalupe Fur Seal
The Guadalupe fur seal is found from the Channel Islands in California to the Cedros Island, Baja California, Mexico.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Juan Fernandez Fur Seal
The Juan Fernández fur seal was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1965.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Juan Fernandez Fur Seal
Juan Fernandez fur seals are off the coast of central Chile.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Fur Seal
New Zealand fur seals are also called Kekeno. They are the most common seals in New Zealand waters.
Source: New Zealand Department of Conservation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Fur Seal
The New Zealand fur seal has been recorded diving deeper and for longer than any other species of fur seal.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Fur Seal
New Zealand fur seals eat squid and octopus, and crustaceans including krill.
Source: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Fur Seal
New Zealand fur seals feeds at night.
Source: Government of Western Australia Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Fur Seal
The New Zealand fur seal is found throughout New Zealand and in western and southern Australia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

South African Fur Seal
Scientists estimate that there are two million African fur seals live along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa.
Source: PBS Nature Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

South African Fur Seal
The South African fur seals eat fish, squid, and crabs.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

South American Fur Seal
The South American fur seal is found from southern Peru south to Cape Horn on the Pacific side, and northward to southern Brazil on the Atlantic side.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

South American Fur Seal
The South American fur seal is found on rocky coasts during breeding season.
Source: Bristol Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Subantarctic Fur Seal
The Subantarctic fur seal is found on islands near the South Pole.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Callorhinus (northern fur seal)

Northern Fur Seal
Male northern fur seals are larger than female northern fur seals.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Northern Fur Seal
Northern fur seals eat squid and small schooling fish such as walleye, pollock and herring.
Source: New England Aquarium Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Northern Fur Seal
During the summer breeding season, most of the worldwide population of northern fur seals is found on the Pribilof Islands in the southern Bering Sea.
Source: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Northern Fur Seal
Northern fur seal populations occur along the coast of California, Alaska, Russia, and Japan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Northern Fur Seal
Northern fur seals are very social animals!
Source: Enchanted Learning Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Eumetopias (Steller sea lion)

Steller Sea Lion
The Steller sea lion is the largest species of sea lion.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Steller Sea Lion
Male Steller sea lions can weigh up to 3,000 pounds
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Steller Sea Lion
Steller sea lions mainly feed on fish.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Science Center Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Steller Sea Lion
Steller sea lions can dive to approximately 1300 feet in depth.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Steller Sea Lion
The Steller sea lion is found off northern Pacific coasts from Japan to California.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Neophoca (Australian sea lion)

Australian Sea Lion
Australian sea lions are found on islands offshore of Australia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Australian Sea Lion
Australian sea lions are non-migratory. They live and breed on sandy beaches near their birth site in relatively large colonies
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Otaria (South American sea lion)

South American Sea Lion
South American sea lions are also known as southern sea lions. Males are three times the size of females.
Source: BBC Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Phocarctos (New Zealand sea lion)

New Zealand Sea Lion
New Zealand sea lions are found in the subantarctic islands of New Zealand.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Sea Lion
The New Zealand sea lion has a blunt nose and short whiskers.
Source: New Zealand Department of Conservation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

New Zealand Sea Lion
The New Zealand sea lion eats octopus, fish, crustaceans, mussels and penguins.
Source: BBC Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Zalophus (California sea lion)

California Sea Lion
California sea lions can reach speeds of 15 to 20 miles per hour while swimming.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
Why are sea lions called lions? It may be because of their load roaring call!
Source: Sea World Animal Bytes Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

California Sea Lion
California sea lions often rest with their heads and flippers above the ocean’s surface to be warmed by the sun, as a way to adjust their body temperature.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

California Sea Lion
California sea lions are known for their intelligence.
Source: Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

California Sea Lion
California sea lions are agile both on land and in the water.
Source: Central Park Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
California sea lions are found along the shore from California to Mexico including Baja and Tres Marias Islands, in the Galapagos Islands and in the southern Sea of Japan
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
California sea lion males bark like a dog to communicate with other males and females.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Science Center Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
California sea lions are social animals and form groups of several hundred individuals onshore.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
Male California sea lions are dark grayish or chocolate brown, while females are lighter brown.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

California Sea Lion
The California sea lion has a thick layer of blubber, short, thick fur, and a dog-like head.
Source: Enchanted Learning Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Galapagos Sea Lion
The Galapagos sea lion is found in the Galapagos Archipelago.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes