The northern sea lion is the largest of the eared seals, weighing as much 

 as 1,700 pounds. The California sea lion weighs about 600 pounds and 

 may grow to be 8 feet long. The smaller female has a fine sense of bal- 

 ance, high intelligence, and is trained for circus work. 



The fur seal is small, weighing only a few hundred pounds, and its 

 fur is very valuable. It is found all over the world. Great herds spend 

 the summer months in the Bering Sea and Pribilof Islands. The fur seal 

 has been protected since the 1911 treaty. Only 3-year-old "bachelors" 

 are taken each year for furs. 



The walrus inhabits the Arctic and adjacent seas. It has a thick layer 

 of skin and fat for protection from the cold water; it has two large upper 

 canine teeth (tusks) about 3 feet long for digging shellfish and crusta- 

 ceans from the bottom. 



Earless seals comprise the harbor seal and the elephant seal. The 

 harbor seal is smaller than the eared seals; it grows to 5 feet in length 

 and weighs about 150 pounds. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. Usually 

 harbor seals stay close to land, mainly around harbors and river mouths. 

 They range from U. S. coasts to the Arctic Circle. 



The elephant seal is the largest of all seals. The male is considerably 

 larger than the female and may have a body length of 16 feet and a 

 weight up to 5,000 pounds. The elephant seal was so named because of 

 the large snout of the male. Distribution ranges from California to 

 Alaska and they are numerous in the North Atlantic. 



Daugherty, Anita E. 



Marine Mammals of California, State of California, The Resources 

 Agency, Department of Fish and Game, 1965. 



Scheffer, Victor B., and Dale W. Rice 



"A List of the Marine Mammals of the World," United States De- 

 partment of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Special Scientific 

 Report-Fisheries No. 431. 



Scheffer, Victor B. 



Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses, Stanford University Press, 1958. 



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