Sea Lion Research Paper

What is the cutest animal to watch play at the zoo? Sea lions are a playful, fun animal that is a great addition to most zoos. Sea lions chubby appearance and fur that changes color when wet are a few of the sea lions physical traits that set it apart from other animals. The sea lion has an extensive diet consisting of many shellfish and other sea creatures, while sea lions have many prey they also have many predators. There are many species of sea lions with many different looks. Sea Lions are a threatened species with many natural obstacles; many sea lion species have already become extinct. Sea lions are very playful and energetic creatures, with strong parental bonds and interesting mating habits. Playful and energetic, the sea lions physical appearance, variety of species, reproduction habits, unique prey and predators, and conservation, make sea lions a very …show more content…
Sea lions eat several times a day; females can eat up to 25 pounds per day while a male can eat up to 60 pounds a day. Sea lions begin to start being able to eat solids at about 2-3 months old (“Arnold 17”). Sea lions diet consists of small fish such as herring, rockfish and mackerel. Sea lions also occasionally even eat small sharks (“California”). Sea lions also eat crustaceans, squid, penguins, and other seals (“Sea”). Sea lions will often eat stones; many scientists think this is because the stones help them balance. Sea lions are safe from most land predators, except for the polar bear. People are also a main “predator” of sea lions although we do not use them as a source of food, but rather as a resource for things like lamp oil and jackets (“Arnold 22”). Some predators of sea lions also are orcas, or killer whales, and great white sharks (“California”). With the vast variety of food for the sea lion also comes with many