South American Sea Lion
Otaria flavescens
Adult males develop a thick, lion-like mane of fur around their necks, which helps cushion the blows during bloody territorial battles.
- Scientific name
- Otaria flavescens
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Carnivora › Otariidae › Otaria
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Rocky shores, sandy beaches, and shallow coastal waters.
- Diet
- Opportunistic carnivore feeding on fish, squid, octopuses, and occasionally penguins.
- Range
- Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Falkland Islands
- Size
- Males up to 2.7 meters (9 ft) and 350 kg (770 lbs); females are significantly smaller.
- Lifespan
- 16-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Bycatch in commercial fishing nets, depletion of prey resources, and marine pollution.
- Safe to approach?
- Defensive. Maintain a safe distance of at least 20 meters, especially during the summer breeding season when males are highly territorial and aggressive. Do not block their path to the water. If bitten, seek immediate medical attention, as their mouths carry harmful bacteria that can cause severe infections.
The South American sea lion ( Otaria flavescens , formerly Otaria byronia ), also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion , is a sea lion found on the Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Chilean, Argentinean, Uruguayan, and Southern Brazilian coasts. It is the only member of the genus Otaria . Its scientific name was subject to controversy, with some taxonomists referring to it as Otaria flavescens and others referring to it as Otaria byronia . The former eventually won out, although...
Photo: Diego Carús, CC0, via iNaturalist
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