New Zealand Sea Lion [Phocarctos hookeri]
Description
The New Zealand Sea Lion, also known as Hooker's sea lion, is a species of sea lion that primarily breeds on the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands and to some extent on the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart Islands. It is the most endangered sea lion species in the world. The species is sexually dimorphic; adult males are 240–350 cm long and weigh 320–450 kg, while adult females are 180–200 cm long and weigh 90–165 kg. Pups are born at about 3.3–3.9 kg, and are chocolate brown with paler areas around the head. Adult males are darker with a thick mane of coarse hair around the neck.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Mammals
Mammalia
|
| Order |
Carnivorans
Carnivora
|
| Family |
Eared Seals
Otariidae
|
| Genus |
New Zealand Sea Lions
Phocarctos
|