more intimate.

They average 10 to 15 per sub group and they can move from one to another as their needs change over the course of their lives.

Conservation
Under the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 1972, it is illegal to harm or kill an Australian Sea Lion. Even with such protection in place there isnt more than 10,000 of them left in the world. They are considered to be an endangered species and that means plenty has to be done if they are going to survive. With the right conditions they can live up to 25 years in the wild and even longer in captivity.

The reasons for the population falls are not fully known. It has been proposed that infanticide, food shortages, and global warming could all play a role. However, the one cause where there is clear evidence is the large-scale fishing industry.

short narrow flippers. The adult males size is between 2 to 2.5 meters in length and weigh 250 to 300 kilograms, while the adult female measures between 1.3 to 1.8 meters and weighs 61 to 104 kilograms. The male is usually dark brown with yellow areas on the neck and top of the head. The female is silver gray, light tan to dark brown on the back and a creamy colour underneath. Not much is known about what they eat, but squid, octopus and fish are probably their major source of food. Australian Sea Lions are the only species of seal that don't breed every year. The time between breeding seasons is about 17 months.

Gill netting
Sea lions are vulnerable to by-catch which are fish caught while trying to fish for other fish, there are records of adult sea lions becoming entangled and drowned in gill-nets while smaller sea lions have become trapped and drowned in pots used to catch rock lobster. Unfortunately, the numbers of sea lions killed as by-catch are unknown. Until now there had been no scientific studies of by-catch in the region, so the evidence is based on interviews with fishermen, and studies in other marine areas. It is estimated that only 12,000 remain in the wild today. Two-thirds of this population is found within South Australian waters, with the main breeding colonies being on Kangaroo Island and Dangerous Reef in South Australia.

Sea Lions
They swallow small prey and tear larger prey into sizable chunks. They also have back teeth that can be used to crack shells if needed to get to meat. They have been known to consume small penguins if necessary to survive.

Natural Behavior
Sealions are very social creatures, and you can find them communicating often with each other. While they form very large colonies on the land, they also have sub groups that are

Sea Lion Features

They have a stocky body, a large head and