WHO AM I?
EVOLUTION & CLASSIFICATION
ADAPTATIONS
BEHAVIOR & INTELLIGENCE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARINE MAMMALS
100
I am the largest animal on Earth and feed on krill using baleen
Blue whale
100
Marine mammals evolved from this type of ancestor
Terrestrial (land) mammals
100
This thick layer of fat helps marine mammals stay warm
Blubber
100
A group of dolphins is called a...
Pod
100
This common pinniped is frequently seen at beaches like La Jolla and Newport
California Sea Lion
200
I have a long spiral tusk that is actually a modified tooth
Narwhal
200
This order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises
Cetacea
200
Dolphins use this system to "see" using sound waves
Echolocation
200
Walruses use their long tusks to help pull themselves onto ice
this behavior is called...
Hauling out
200
This earless seal species often hauls out along the SoCal coast
Harbor seal
300
Although we all inhabit freshwater, we all have marine species that we are more related to.
River Dolphins
300
These are the two main groups of cetaceans
Mysticeti (Baleen whales) and odontoceti (toothed whales)
300
Sea otters use rocks to break open prey
this is an example of what behavior?
Tool use
300
CA Sea Lions mate and give birth at rookeries where?
The Channel Islands
300
This dolphin species is commonly seen riding waves behind boats in SoCal
Common dolphin
400
I have external ear flaps and can "walk" on land using rotating hind flippers
Sea lion
400
Pinnipeds belong to this mammalian order
Carnivora
400
This opening on the top of a whales head is used for breathing
Blowhole
400
Different populations of Orca with unique diets and behaviors are called...
Ecotypes
400
This whale is famous for its annual migration past Southern California
Gray Whale
500
I am a sea grass eating marine mammal related to elephants, and my flippers lack nails
Dugong
500
This early whale had both land and aquatic features "walking whale"
Ambulocetus
500
Marine mammals reduce heat loss using this system
where warm blood heats returning cold blood
Counter current heat exchange
500
Humpback whales are known for producing these complex vocal patterns
Whale songs
500
This massive pinniped breeds on California islands and shows extreme sexual dimorphism
Northern elephant seal