Overall Characteristics
What type of animals are sea mammals if they maintain a warm body temperature?
Warm-blooded (endothermic) animals.
What group includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises?
Cetaceans.
What body parts do sea lions use for propulsion and steering in the water?
Front and hind flippers.
What type of diet do sea lions have?
Carnivorous diet.
What adaptation helps many sea mammals stay warm in cold ocean water?
Blubber (thick layers of fat)
What do toothless whales use to filter food from seawater?
Baleen plates.
What protein helps sea lions store oxygen in their muscles while diving?
Myoglobin.
Name one common prey item sea lions eat.
Fish, squid, octopus, or crustaceans.
What do sea mammals use to breathe air?
Lungs.
What subgroup of marine mammals includes seals, sea lions, and walruses?
Pinnipeds.
What sensitive feature helps sea lions detect prey vibrations underwater?
Whiskers (vibrissae).
What are the main natural predators of sea lions?
Orcas and large sharks.
How do many sea mammals stay underwater for long periods of time?
By storing extra oxygen and slowing their heart rates.
What adaptation allows sea lions to walk on land better than true seals?
Rotatable hind flippers.
What can sea lions close while diving to keep water out?
Their ears and nostrils.
What are sea lion breeding and mating areas called?
Rookeries.
What special adaptation do many toothed whales use to hunt and navigate?
Echolocation.
What are manatees and dugongs commonly called because they eat seagrass?
Sea cows.
How do sea lions cool themselves down on land or in warm temperatures?
By rafting in water, flipping wet sand on themselves, or raising a flipper to release heat.
Name one major threat to sea lion populations today.
Climate change, overfishing, ocean warming, algal blooms, or fishing gear entanglement.