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Steller Sea Lion

Eumetopias jubatus

Description:

"Adult animals are lighter in color than most sea lions, ranging from pale yellow to tawny and occasionally reddish. Steller sea lion pups are born almost black, weighing around 23 kg (51 lb), and remain dark for several months. Females and males both grow rapidly until the fifth year, after which female growth slows considerably. Adult females measure 2.3–2.9 m (7.5–9.5 ft) in length, with an average of 2.5 m (8.2 ft), and weigh 240–350 kg (530–770 lb), with an average of 263 kg (580 lb). Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals. Males are slightly longer than the females; they grow to about 2.82–3.25 m (9.3–10.7 ft) long, with an average of 3 m (9.8 ft). Males have much wider chests, necks and general forebody structure and weigh 450–1,120 kg (990–2,500 lb), with an average of 544 kg (1,200 lb)."

Habitat:

Rocky surface on island in Resurrection Bay

Notes:

The Steller sea lion has attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to significant, unexplained declines in their numbers over a large portion of their range in Alaska. The species is named for the naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first described them in 1741.

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Alaska, USA

Spotted on Jul 18, 2013
Submitted on Aug 4, 2013

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Reference

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