3 5 24 sea lions (science)

Visitors aboard boats might see sea lions sleeping on islands.. Visitors to the coast of California see sea lions play and swim... Sea lions have whiskers and fur, fins and flippers.. Ma

by Catherine Godine

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover Jeff Rotman/Alamy 1 © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures (bkgd) Siede Preis 2 © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures 3 © Alistair Dove/Alamy 4 © MITSUAKI IWAGO/Minden Pictures 5 © MITSUAKI IWAGO/Minden Pictures 6 (l) © Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures (r) © SUZI ESZTERHAS/Minden Pictures 7 Visual & Written SL/Alamy

8 © Frans Lanting/Minden Pictures 9 © Visions of America, LLC/Alamy 10 Jeff Rotman/Alamy.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02186-7

ISBN-10: 0-547-02186-0

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If they are very lucky, visitors to the coast of California get a treat They get

to see sea lions

These noisy, playful animals swim

in the bays of California They swim alone or in groups Sometimes they leap and dive in the water They also float together in a group, looking like a large raft They even ride the rippled waves like surfers

Visitors aboard boats might see sea

lions sleeping on islands The sea lions rest with their noses pointing to the sky

or lie stacked on top of one another on a large rock

Visitors can hear sea lions, too

Sea lions bark, honk, and trumpet to

each other Some even roar

Visitors to the coast of California see sea lions play and swim.

What Are Sea Lions?

Sea lions are mammals Mammals are warm-blooded animals with hair or fur Female mammals produce milk to feed their young

Sea lions can grow to be 5 to 11 feet long They can weigh from 77 to 2,400 pounds

Sea lions have whiskers and fur, fins and flippers They have large eyes to help them see underwater Their teeth are sharp and pointed, good for catching and eating food

Male seal lions are much bigger than females.

Sea lions are great swimmers They have a sleek body that’s perfect for

moving through the water Long flippers help them make powerful strokes while swimming They can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour for short periods This

helps them escape from their enemies

eyes

flippers

whiskers fur

fins

Seal or Sea Lion?

How can you tell the difference

between a sea lion and a seal? Both

are mammals, and both have flippers Blubber keeps them warm during any cold ocean voyage And both like to eat! Sea lions have small ear flaps Seals have just a tiny opening through which they hear And sea lions can rotate, or twist, their back flippers to help them scoot along when they are on land Seals can’t rotate their flippers

Sea lions use their flippers to move on land Seals can’t do this.

Where Do Sea Lions Live?

Many sea lions live in the waters of

California They also live in waters near Oregon and Washington and in Canada Sea lions can dive down as far as 600 feet in search of tasty food They are

mammals, though, so they cannot stay

underwater forever They must return to the surface to breathe

Sea lions dive and then surface like whales do.

Sea lions can live on land too They can be spotted on beaches, islands, or rocks near the coast They spend most

of their day sleeping on land They also gather at marinas or wharves and rest on old anchors At night they hunt for food Sea lion pups are born on land A few weeks after their arrival, they begin

to learn to swim and fish

Sea lions play on the rocks formed by lava from a volcano long ago.

How Smart Are Sea Lions?

Sea lions are smart They can be

trained to toss objects in the air and

catch them on their noses They can be guided to perform these tricks on cue

Sea lions often perform at zoos

and aquariums

Scientists study sea lions They are

interested in finding out how sea lions

work together

Sea lions perform at many zoos and aquariums.

Are Sea Lions in Danger?

Sea lions were once hunted for their skin and oil Many died Now laws keep them safe from hunters

Sea lions are still in danger Oil and garbage dumped in oceans by humans hurt them But many people are working

to keep them safe

TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder

Make a web around the word bay List

animals you would see in bays Copy the

web and add words.

Text to Self Describe a bay Tell what

animals you would see, and why you want

to see them Use words from the web.

Write About It

bay

sea lion

TARGET STRATEGY Infer/Predict Use clues to figure out more about the selection.

Remove the first letter and you can use this to build a house

aboard

anchor

arrival

bay

guided

lava rippled spotted twisted voyage

TARGET VOCABULARY

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02186-7 ISBN-10: 0-547-02186-0

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: M

DRA: 28

Science

Strategy:

Infer/Predict

Word Count: 618

3.5.24 Build Vocabulary