Neophoca
Published: November 15, 2009, 1:00 am
Updated: May 13, 2011, 10:19 am
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Marion McClary
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Australian Sea Lion. Source: Cody Pope
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Conservation Status
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Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Anamalia (Animals)
Phylum:--- Chordata
Class:------ Mammalia (Mammals)
Order:-------- Carnivora (Carnivores)
Family:-------- Otariidae (Eared Seals)
Genus:----------Neophoca
Species:------------ 1 species
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Neophoca is a genus of just one species (a “monotypic” genus) within the eared seal family of sixteen species - the Australian sea lion. Eared seals include sea lions and fur seals. Together with the families of true seals and Walruses, Eared seals form the group of marine mammals known as pinnipeds.
Eared seals differ from the true seals in having small external earflaps and hind flippers that can be turned to face forwards. Together with strong front flippers, this gives them extra mobility on land and an adult fur seal can move extremely fast across the beach if it has to. They also use their front flippers for swimming, whereas true seals use their hind flippers.
Australian sea lions are found on islands offshore of Australia, especially on Kangaroo Island and Dangerous Reef (near Port Lincoln) in southern Australia. The species is considered endangered and is protected.
For details see Australian sea lion.
Further Reading
- Neophoca cinerea (Péron, 1816) Encyclopedia of Life (accessed April 7, 2009)
- Australian Sea Lions, Seal Conservation Society (accessed April 7, 2009)
- The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses, Marianne Riedman, University of California Press, 1991 ISBN: 0520064984
- Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Bernd Wursig, Academic Press, 2002 ISBN: 0125513402
- Marine Mammal Research: Conservation beyond Crisis, edited by John E. Reynolds III, William F. Perrin, Randall R. Reeves, Suzanne Montgomery and Timothy J. Ragen, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 ISBN: 0801882559
- Walker's Mammals of the World, Ronald M. Nowak, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN: 0801857899
- Australian Sea Lion, MarineBio.org (accessed April 7, 2009)
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Citation
Encyclopedia of Life (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Contributing Author);Marion McClary (Topic Editor) "Neophoca". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth November 15, 2009; Last revised Date May 13, 2011; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Neophoca>
The Author
The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The entry-point for each site is a species page suitable for the general public, but with several linked pages aimed at more specialized users. The sites spark ... (Full Bio)
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Australian Sea Lion. Source: Cody Pope
|
|
Conservation Status
|
|
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Anamalia (Animals)
Phylum:--- Chordata
Class:------ Mammalia (Mammals)
Order:-------- Carnivora (Carnivores)
Family:-------- Otariidae (Eared Seals)
Genus:----------Neophoca
Species:------------ 1 species
|
Neophoca is a genus of just one species (a “monotypic” genus) within the eared seal family of sixteen species - the Australian sea lion. Eared seals include sea lions and fur seals. Together with the families of true seals and Walruses, Eared seals form the group of marine mammals known as pinnipeds.
Eared seals differ from the true seals in having small external earflaps and hind flippers that can be turned to face forwards. Together with strong front flippers, this gives them extra mobility on land and an adult fur seal can move extremely fast across the beach if it has to. They also use their front flippers for swimming, whereas true seals use their hind flippers.
Australian sea lions are found on islands offshore of Australia, especially on Kangaroo Island and Dangerous Reef (near Port Lincoln) in southern Australia. The species is considered endangered and is protected.
For details see Australian sea lion.
Further Reading
- Neophoca cinerea (Péron, 1816) Encyclopedia of Life (accessed April 7, 2009)
- Australian Sea Lions, Seal Conservation Society (accessed April 7, 2009)
- The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses, Marianne Riedman, University of California Press, 1991 ISBN: 0520064984
- Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Bernd Wursig, Academic Press, 2002 ISBN: 0125513402
- Marine Mammal Research: Conservation beyond Crisis, edited by John E. Reynolds III, William F. Perrin, Randall R. Reeves, Suzanne Montgomery and Timothy J. Ragen, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 ISBN: 0801882559
- Walker's Mammals of the World, Ronald M. Nowak, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN: 0801857899
- Australian Sea Lion, MarineBio.org (accessed April 7, 2009)
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
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