On the other hand, walrus does not have external ears. Clumsy-looking sea lions “walk” on land. California Sea Lion ; ... (seals, sea lions, and fur seals), the skin is covered in a layer of hair which can vary greatly in its thickness depending on the species. This is because most of use see seals on land and their bodies are more designed for their needs in the water. Coloration. In fact, sea lions are the second cousins of seals. 5. These marine animals have a similar body structure yet differ due to the additional features they possess such as guard hairs, type of claws, weight, size, and adaptive body parts. Walrus is also bigger than sea lions. Danger Beneath the Water: 10 Facts About Leopard Seals. To conclude, the article provides a comparison of the seal, sea lion, walrus, and otter with their qualities and the differences they hold from each other. Sea lions and fur seals can rotate their hind flippers toward the ground so they're able to walk on all four appendages. These animals may be seen hauled out on off shore rocks, and occasionally on sandy beaches. Sea lions congregate in gregarious groups called herds or rafts that can reach upwards of 1,500 individuals. Finally, seals are less social than their sea-lion cousins. Female California sea lions reach about 1.5 to 2 m (5–6.5 ft.) and 50 to 110 kg (110–240 lbs.). Of these, three are commonly found in southern Australian waters and the remainder occur in Australia's Antarctic Territory. Seals lack an external ear flap whereas sea lions have an external ear flap that is visible. Sea Lion and Seal are marine pinnipedian mammals with very close affinities and easy to confuse. A California sea lion has a fusiform body shape that is sleek and streamlined. Instead, they wriggle like a caterpillar, shifting their weight from front to back and rolling to their destination, like this: Another big difference between true seals and these guys is that sea lions and fur seals have larger, hairless flippers which they use more effectively on land. 29, 2018 ... One quick way to tell a sea lion from a seal is to look at its ears. A unique, rotating hip bone allows them to tuck their rear flippers under and support their body weight on all four flippers. If your sense of adventure takes you on an Antarctic cruise, you may be lucky enough to cross paths with a leopard seal.They’re amazing creatures to observe in and out of the water, and a quintessential aspect of the Antarctic experience. Jun. But in the wild, the California sea lion is a sleek animal, faster than any other sea lion or seal. Fur seals and sea lions are also known as eared seals. As a result seals rely more on shuffling and gliding on land, whereas a sea lion can support its … In and around Redwood National and State Parks, the most commonly seen eared seal is the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). The tusk and stiff whiskers mainly differentiate a walrus from a sea lion. Seals have stubby front feet compared to the large front flippers of a sea lion. They spend more time in the water than sea lions do and often lead solitary lives in the wild, coming ashore together only once a year to meet and mate. The Australian sea lion and Australian and New Zealand fur seals are the only species that breed on and around Australia’s main-land and nearshore islands. Body Shape. Dare to Compare: What’s the Difference Between Sea Lions and Seals? Unlike the sea lion, walrus relies more on the body for swimming like that of the true seals. At maturity male California sea lions are much larger than females. The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal eared seal native to western North America.It is one of six species of sea lion.Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of California.Sea lions are sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and have a thicker neck, and protruding sagittal crest. Seal Physical Characteristics. Sea Lion vs Seal . The anatomy of a seal is quite interesting and you may think that they don’t have a body that is built quite right for their needs. Seals don’t have this capability. These and the Antarctic and subantarctic fur seals — which breed on Australian subantarctic islands — belong to the ‘eared’ pinniped family: all have small outwardly visible ears. Seals and sea lions Photo: Mike Preece, CSIRO, Noel Carmichael, Allan Fox [toc] 10 species of seals and sea lions occur in Australian waters. California sea lion coat colors vary. Sea lions and fur seals (members of the eared seal family) have visible ear flaps, while true seals only have ear holes. However, there are considerable differences between them and those are essential to understand in solving the confusions. When comparing a sea lion vs. seal you can spot the difference a few ways, one of which is the lack or presence of an ear.