Habitat
Male Galapagos sea lions can usually be found inland where abundant shade is present, while females occupy different habitats depending on the age of their pups (Wolf et al., 2005). During the day, sea lions can be found on beaches near the water, which they enter throughout the day. At night, they move higher on the beach. Energy costs of locomotion and thermoregulation contribute to habitat use; Galapagos sea lions most frequently occupy areas neighboring the sea that have adequate levels of shade, flat, uncomplicated terrain, and nearby tide pools. Habitat usage also varies with maturity level and sex during the reproductive period, in which sexual separation occurs (Wolf et al., 2005).
Range depth: 186 (high) m.
Average depth: 37 m.
Habitat Regions: saltwater or marine
Aquatic Biomes: temporary pools; coastal ; brackish water
- Orr, R. 1967. The Galapagos Sea Lion. Journal of Mammalogy, Vol 48: 62-69. Accessed February 02, 2009 at http://www.jstor.org/stable/1378170?&Search=yes&term=lion&term=sea&term=Galapagos&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DGalapagos%2Bsea%2Blion%2B%26x%3D8%26y%3D15%26wc%3Don&item=6&ttl=400&returnArticleService=showArticle.
- Wolf, J., G. Kauermann, F. Trillmich. 2005. Males in the Shade: Habitat Use and Sexual Segregation in the Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Vol. 59: 293-302. Accessed February 02, 2009 at http://www.jstor.org/stable/25063702?&Search=yes&term=lion&term=sea&term=Galapagos&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DGalapagos%2Bsea%2Blion%2B%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26wc%3Don&item=12&ttl=400&returnArticleService=showArticle.
