Sea Lions Vs. Seals

Marine researchers and their studies have concluded the debate of both sea lions and seals, to a one-word definition - called pinnipeds. Which in Latin means (fin footed or feather footed) and characteristics of these animals differ when it comes to physical appearance and adaptations. Basically there are three families for including these species in: eared seals (Otariidae), earless seals (Phocidae), and walruses (Odobenidae). On a personal note, taking a first glance at these pinnipeds, perpetually I have always confused sea lions as seals and contrariwise. But after all these years, I clear my facts, learning that seal, sea lion and walrus are pinnipeds. They are like second cousins to each other coming from different genus and families. Before we move ahead with the sea lions vs. seals debate, I shall enlighten you on the general characteristic features of what every pinnipeds share.

Some Facts on Pinnipeds

There are 33 live species of pinnipeds. They have short fur in differing amounts. They grow in various patterns and shades. Also, possess tweak whiskers just like mice and cats, utilized as tactile sensors called vibrissae. They have four flippers on their body and an excellent sense of hearing. The offspring are called pups, while the offspring of walruses are called calves. Pinnipeds survive in the womb for 8 to 16 months, counting the lasting time of the fertilized egg in the dormant. All the pinnipeds obviously are carnivorous warm blooded mammals. They depend on aquatic animals like clams, fish, crustaceans and so on, for their bread and butter. Calibrating their adaptation habits, they are known to spend some amount of time on land and the remaining in the water. Thus they are amphibians or semi-aquatic species.

Now that you are aware of the nomadic lifestyle and environment of what pinnipeds share; delve further to stick to the differentiation of seals and sea lions in this article.

Difference Between Seals and Sea Lions
Seals	Sea Lions
Ear-holes	Ear-flaps
Have whiskers that are cramped up or bearded.	Have long smooth whiskers or vibrissae.
Have short hairy fore-flippers and also long claws.	Have long hairless fore-flippers.
They swim by maneuvering with fore-flippers and boosting ahead with hind-flippers.	They swim underwater using their fore-flippers just like the wings of a bird.
They manage to keep their hind-flippers jutting out and move around on the land by wiggling on their belly.	Their hand-flippers circumvolve beneath them to enhance them to walk on the land.

From this flyspeck detail on sea lions vs. seals, something struck my late head in telling you one definite fact about these mammals. Do you remember in our childhood, maximum were the times we had seen these animals in zoos and huge aquariums sporting their charming acts and activities. Honestly, we used to enjoy seeing them back then. Those times we never knew what exactly was the difference between the sea lions, walruses, seals, dolphins and all. They definitely looked a bit different from each other, but did one thing in common. They drew the crowd and admiring fans with their lovely personalities. Today, if we come to learn the difference between the two, we understand they differ in many ways. Let's get into a little more detail to elaborate on each part of the body of seals and sea lions.

Other Differences Between Sea Lions and Seals

Heads: Just Got One!
Want to differentiate both these animals from each other in a jiff? Check out the shape of their heads. Sea lions have external ears that are small flaps. You can resemble it to cat ears as well. Seals don't have flap ears (doesn't mean they are deaf). They have tiny ear-holes on either sides of their heads. Due to this reason seals move swiftly under water than their slow-coach cousins sea-lions.

Fins: Flap, Flap!
Agreeing to the facts that both the animals have fins or are fin-footed, that characteristic makes them travel between land and water. With the kind of fin described briefly in the table above, you can consider seals to be water dominant and sea lions to be land favorable. Seals really have a hard time to move on the land with those fins they own. They would move inch along like a caterpillar if they spend more time on the ground. Thus, fins act as the key variation in these two species.

Weight: Now that's Heavy!
What do seals eat? For the maximum weight seals weigh up to is 400 pounds. Imagining that figure, their appearance definitely happens to be round and chubby. On the contrary, sea lions are sleeker and slender. Perhaps, are larger in size, than seals. Beating the weight record of an ordinary seal, mostly sea lions exceedingly weigh as large as 600 pounds. These guys chipped in a heavy record!

Agility: Swift as a Coursing River!
Since the fore-flippers of seals are smaller, they are agile in water. Their hind-flippers help them to boost ahead in direction. Propelling side to side closely as a fish, that's when their fore-flippers helps them steer ahead and change directions. Seals are a natural prey to Sharks and Orcas who are backstabber's. Thus when it comes to hunt, seals barely depend on their hind-flippers which is as good as nothing. Since they get defenseless.

On the other hand, let's see what the brothers are up to. These animals swim in a straight line and propel themselves ahead with their huge fore-flippers. These animals move smartly. To move ahead, they stick their head out and merely tilt their entire body in the desired direction. Well, the environment of these mammals is one. So but obviously their predators are the same. Sea lions live on a plus point. For they use their fore-flippers to push ahead, they easily escape an attack. So for all you mean sharks (you missed the shot!)

Environmental Behavior: They're at Their Best!
Marine biologists have studied that sea lions are much more social (talkative) as compared to their cousins. Rather they are far more vocal as well. They own a loud voice, moreover like a barking sound. Sea lions are the animals spotted more in number on beaches, harbors and land nearing water bodies. Most commonly on the coastlines of Northern California. Seals on the contrary make a low grunt sound. (naturally their share has been taken by their cousins!)

By now I am sure you must have resolved your debate on sea lions and seals from this enormous information in this article. I hope it was fun for you to read!