What do sea lions ear?

What do sea lions ear?

Sea lions and fur seals have external ears that protrude from their heads. Seals, on the other hand, have no external ear flap but instead have ear holes. This is why scientists refer to species in the family Otariidae as eared seals. Phocidae species can be called earless seals.

What do seals use their ears for?

Underwater Aural Skills The harp seal’s absence of pinnae is not without a purpose. The absence actually contributes to the seals’ abilities to pick up on direction in hearing, which they utilize to their advantage both underwater and above the surface.

Why do sea lions have ear flaps?

The sea lion’s earflaps are turned with the opening downward so water does not enter the ears. Sea lions are also able to rotate their hind flippers forward to help them scoot along beaches and rocky shorelines. Seals cannot do this and must wriggle, hunch, roll, or slide to get around out of the water.

Do sea lions have ears?

Sea lions (left) are brown, bark loudly, “walk” on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. Secondly, sea lions have small flaps for outer ears. The “earless” or “true” seals lack external ears altogether. You have to get very close to see the tiny holes on the sides of a seal’s sleek head.

Why do sea lions arch their backs?

The “true seals” have no external ear flaps, smaller front flippers and rearward facing hind limbs that are fused together into one scalloped flipper. They move across land by stretching their upper bodies out and arching their backs to pull themselves forward.

How can you tell if a sea lion is a seal?

Look at their ears. If you see a small earflap on each side of its head, you are looking at a sea lion. Seals just have a tiny opening for their ears. The sea lion’s earflaps are turned with the opening downward so water does not enter the ears.

How does a sea lion communicate with others?

Sea lions communicate using various “barks”, grunts and growls, especially when they are hunting as a group. They have ears that are able to pick up sounds both above and below water. However, their ears are very small, so they can still be super streamlined in the water.

How does a sea lion get out of the water?

The sea lion’s earflaps are turned with the opening downward so water does not enter the ears. Sea lions are also able to rotate their hind flippers forward to help them scoot along beaches and rocky shorelines. Seals cannot do this and must wriggle, hunch, roll, or slide to get around out of the water.

What do sea lions use their whiskers for?

For this reason, sea lions primarily rely on their sense of touch, using their super-sensitive whiskers to feel exactly where the fish are in the water. When fish swim around they leave little waves, or wakes, behind them. Sea lions are able to detect these wakes and follow them, just by using their whiskers.