Australian Sea Lion: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Of all the seals and sea lions, this is the only one that lives in Australia and nowhere else.
2. Most seals and sea lions breed on a 12-month rhythm. This one keeps an odd calendar, with a cycle that can stretch to 17 or 18 months.
3. A mother can tell her own pup from others by its smell. In a busy, crowded colony, though, their calls seem to be the surest way to find each other.
4. These sea lions sometimes adopt a pup that is not their own, for example one that got separated from its parents.
5. When storms hit, these sea lions sometimes head inland. Some have been found as far as 9.4 km from the sea.

The quiz

1. Where does the Australian sea lion live in the wild?

• Only in Australia (correct)
• In Australia and Antarctica
• All around the Pacific
• In Australia and South Africa

It is the only seal or sea lion endemic to Australia.

2. How long can this sea lion's breeding cycle last?

• Exactly 12 months
• About 3 months
• 17 to 18 months (correct)
• 5 years

Unlike most pinnipeds with a 12-month cycle, it can take 17 to 18 months.

3. In a crowded colony, what seems to be the surest way for a mother and pup to find each other?

• Coat colour
• Their calls (correct)
• Footprints in the sand
• Touch

Smell helps up close, but in a busy colony sound seems the most reliable.

4. What can an adult Australian sea lion do for a pup that is not its own?

• Carry it on its back
• Build it a seaweed nest
• Hide it in a cave
• Adopt it (correct)

Adults may adopt another's pup, which is called alloparental care.

5. How far from the sea have Australian sea lions been found in stormy weather?

• Up to 900 km
• Up to 9.4 km (correct)
• Never more than 10 m
• Up to 94 km

In rough weather some head inland, as far as 9.4 km from the sea.

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