Californian Sea Lion (Zaophus californianus)
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The Californian sea lion lives off the caost of western North America. This quick and agile mammal can not only swim at speeds of up to 25 mph in short bursts but it can also walk on land using its flippers. The sound this animal makes sounds very similar to a dog or a lion. It roars, honks, and barks.

The size and color of this beast depends of the gender and age. Full grown females tend to weigh around 200-250 pounds, 6.5 feet and have a dark to light brown coat. Males on the other hand can grow up to three times that size, up to 850 pounds and 8 feet long. The males tend to have a slightly darker coat that the females though. Pups are dark grey to light brown. All sea lions have a thick layer of blubber that keeps them warm in the cold weather. The sea lion has wiskers, called virbissae, which help the animals sence of touch. Their nostrils are  closable which makes it easier to go under water without letting water in.

These animals are very social. On land they live in large groups called colonies and smaller groups in the water called rafts. When they are breeding the area where it all happens is called a rookery.

Sea lions eat a variety of fish and shell fish. They will hunt in day or night and eat anything from hake, opaleye, hering, norhern anchovy, squid (cuddlefish), octopus, crabs, clams, and lobster.

This sea mammal has few predators. Some are orka (killer whales), great whites, and hammerhead sharks. Sea lions are also affected by pollution and over fishing
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