One of the 3 sea lions on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Otariidae
South American Sea Lion
Otaria flavescens
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The South American sea lion occupies the coasts of the Southern Cone, from Peru to Brazil around Cape Horn. The males, with a thick mane and an enormous neck, can weigh three times as much as the females and defend harems at the rookeries during the austral summer. It feeds on fish, squid and crustaceans, and in some areas it has learnt to make use of discards from the fishing fleet. Its highly concentrated breeding colonies make it sensitive to disturbance of the coast and to El Niño events.
Weight
100 kg – 350 kg
Size
1.8 m – 2.8 m
Life expectancy
20 years
