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Australian sea lion
Neophoca cinerea
Life span
The expected life span is about 25 years.
Statistics
Males (bulls) are 2-2.5m in length, females (cows) are smaller at 1.3-1.8m. Males weigh 250-300kg and females 61-104kg.
Physical Description
Males and females vary in colour as well as in size. Pups are born with silvery grey or fawn fur, which females retain into maturity, whereas males become dark brown as they mature. Males have thick skin and fur around their necks.
Distribution
These sea lions are found only on mainland Australia and offshore islands.
Habitat
Australian sea lions prefer sandy beaches or smooth rocks as breeding or haul-out sites.
Diet
They feed on fish, octopus and lobsters.
Behaviour
They are very social animals and gather in large groups, particularly during the breeding season.
In October, males come ashore and battle for territories. The females come ashore 2-3 weeks later. Males may keep a harem of over 80 females, although 4-6 females are typical.
They are hunted by sharks, particularly great white sharks.
Reproduction
Australian sea lions mate on land, and the females give birth after 8-9 months. Males may only breed for 2-3 seasons.
Females nurse their young for 15-18 months. There is a high level of pup mortality due to aggression from both adult males and females on the beaches.
Conservation status
Australian sea lions are considered rare under South Australian legislation where they have received full legal protection since 1964. There are presently only 3,000-5,000 Australian sea lions in existence and they are thought to be the rarest pinniped.
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