How is a sea lion different from a seal?
Seals, sea lions and walruses all belong in the Pinniped order of marine mammals . Although many people think that a sea lion is a seal – there are many differences between seals and sea lions. Sea lions and fur seals are in the Otariiadae family while true seals are in the family Phocidae. One difference between sea lions and seals is that a sea lion has an external ear-flap on each side of its head – just like you do. A true seal, such as a harbor seal, lacks these ear-flaps and, instead, has a tiny hole on each side of its head that leads to the inner ear. Sea lions have long, winglike foreflippers that are clawless and hairless. The foreflippers of seals are short, covered with fur, and have clawlike nails. A sea lion can also rotate its hind flippers underneath its body and walk on land using all four flippers. The hind flippers of a seal remain extended behind its body and it inches forward on land like a caterpillar. In the water, sea lions swim by moving their front flippers up
