¡Subscribete a nuestro canal!: http://www.dailymotion.com/andinia1 Subscribe here! Acá vemos algunos ejemplares de lobo marino sudamericano (Otaria flavescens), también llamado lobo marino chusco, lobo marino de un pelo, león marino del sur, león marino sudamericano o simplemnete lobo marino, que es una especie de mamífero pinnípedo de la familia de los otáridos. Esta especie está categorizada como especie “Amenazada (EN)”, o sea, especies consideradas con un riesgo muy alto de extinción en la naturaleza. Wikipedia nos enseña al respecto:
“Son de color pardo oscuro cuando adultos y negro cuando jóvenes. Los machos adultos habitualmente pesan unos 300 kg, el doble que las hembras, y poseen una capa de pelo castaño rojizo sobre el cuello. Esta “melena” es la causa de que sean llamados “leones marinos”.
Viven en colonias de unos 15 individuos, formadas por el macho, su harén y unos pocos jóvenes. Durante el verano, en diciembre y enero, se trasladan a parir a sitios protegidos donde se congregan miles de animales. La gestación dura casi un año y cada vez nace una sola cría. Durante la época de reproducción, los machos entran en combate por el control de su territorio y por las hembras, y es usual que no se alimenten en ese periodo. Viven alrededor de 25 a 50 años.
– Distribución Habita las costas sudamericanas, tanto en el Atlántico como en el Pacífico. Se halla en las costas de las Islas Galápagos, Perú, Chile, Argentina (incluyendo las islas Malvinas), Uruguay, Brasil (al sur de Recife dos Tôrres). Ocasionalmente se han observado poblaciones divagantes en Colombia y Panamá.”
—–ENGLISH—– WIkipedia: “he South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens, formerly Otaria byronia), also called the Southern Sea Lion and the Patagonian Sea Lion, is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan and Argentine coasts. Its scientific name was subject to controversy, with some taxonomists referring to it as Otaria flavescens and other referring to it as Otaria byronia. The former eventually won out. Locally, it is known by several names though the most common ones are “lobo marino” (sea wolf) and “león marino” (sea lion).
The South American sea lion is perhaps the archetypal sea lion in appearance. Males have a very large head with a well developed mane making them the most lionesque of the eared seals. They are twice the weight of females.[2] Both males and females are orange-coloured with upturned snouts. The manes on males are lighter than females, and female fur on the head and neck is lighter than that of males. Pups are born black or dark brown and molt into a more chocolate colour. The South American Sea Lion’s size and weight can vary quite a lot. Adult males can grow over 2.73 m (9 ft) and weigh up to 350 kg (770 lb). Adult females grow up to 1.82 m (67 ft) and weigh about half the weight of the males, around 150 kg (330 lb). These sea lions are the most sexually dimorphic of the five sea lion species.
As its name suggests, the South American sea lion is found along the coast and offshore islands of South America. The endpoints of its range are Zorritos in northern Peru and Ilha dos Lobos in southern Brazil. Notable breeding colonies include Lobos Island, Uruguay; Peninsula Valdes, Argentina; Beagle Channel and the Falkland Islands.
– Range and habitat South American sea lions prefer to breed on beaches made of sand, but will breed on gravel, rocky or pebble beaches as well. They can also be seen on flat rocky cliffs with tidepools. Sea lion colonies are more scattered on rocky beaches than sand, gravel or pebble beaches. The colonies make spaces between each individual when it is warm and sunny. They can also be found in marinas and wharves but don’t breed there.
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