132 ] Animals in the Wild 



The Koala Nature's Teddy Bear: The appeal of the koala is 

 much the same as that of the giant pandait looks like the work 

 of a toy designer. In fact, some people believe that the koala 

 inspired the long-popular "teddy bear." (The "teddy" part of 

 the name is supposed to have been in honor of Theodore Roose- 

 velt.) Like the kangaroo, the koala is a marsupial. A newborn 

 baby is less than an inch long, and it stays in the mother's pouch 

 for about two months. After emerging, the baby clings to the fur 

 on the mother's back, riding there until it becomes quite a heavy 

 load. 



SEA LIONS AND SEALS NATURE'S CLOWNS 



It is the easily tamed and trained sea lions that you usually 

 see in zoo and circus. They are born show-offs. In the zoo 

 their feeding-time antics never fail to draw a large and admiring 

 crowd. Children and grown-ups alike chortle with delight at the 

 nonchalant way in which the sea lion holds his mouth wide open 

 and catches the fish thrown to him by the keeper across the length 

 of the pool. The sea lion is also an expert circus performer, 

 balancing a large ball on his nose, "answering" questions, and 

 "playing" musical instruments. 



"What is the difference between a sea lion and a seal?" you 

 may wonder as you watch the frolicking acrobatic water mammals 

 at the zoo. 



Though many people use the names interchangeably, sea lions 

 differ somewhat from true seals. To recognize a sea lion, look for 

 ears at the sides of his sleek head. They are small but distinguish- 

 able. True seals have no external ear structure. Sea lions are also 

 unique in their ability to turn their hind flippers forward and 

 under, making possible a fairly rapid if awkward progress over 

 land. 



Under natural conditions sea lions spend considerable time 

 on shore, and there the babies are born. The mothers take them 

 to shallow water to teach them how to swim and catch fish. Sea 

 lions live only along the Pacific coast. The common seal is found 

 along the shores of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific 

 Oceans. The common seal (known also as the harbor seal) is 





