California Sea Lions
Project by: Kaung Yang , Fnu (Sophia) Yunanda , Akayi Thein and Dr. Shari Bookstaff
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Taxonomic Differences
Sea Lions
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Kingdom: Animalia
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Phylum: Chordata
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Class: Mammalia
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Order: Carnivora
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Suborder: Caniformia
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Family: Otariidae
True Seals
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Kingdom: Animalia
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Phylum: Chordata
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Class: Mammalia
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Order: Carnivora
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Suborder: Caniformia
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Family: Phocidae
Physical Differences
Sea lions have external ear flaps whereas true seals do not. Sea lions walk on land using their large flippers. Seals have small flippers with a claw on each toe and wriggle on their bellies on land. In the water, sea lions use front flippers to swim and rear flippers to steer them. Contrary to sea lions, seals use their rear flippers to push through the water and front flippers for steering.
Sea lions are out-going and acrobatic animals as well as noisier than seals. Seals spend more time in the water than sea lions do and come to shore only once a year to mate. Sea lions like to congregate in large groups and haul out together while seals live individually or in small groups.