Japanese sea lion
Japaneese sea lion in LOST ZOO
The Japanese sea lions bred on flat, open, sandy beaches and only rarely in rocky areas.
Japanese sea lions preferred to rest in caves, a behavior which is quite uncommon for sea lions.
The only known predators of the Japanese sea lion were humans who killed the sea lions to allow fishermen more access to the fish in the waters.
The blubber of the killed sea lions was used to make oil, the pelt to produce clothes, shoes and blankets and the long whiskers to make pipe cleaners. Their internal organs were the base for traditional medicines.
Originally the Japanese sea lion and the Galapagos Sea Lion were only two subspecies of the California sea lion. Because of their distinct distribution and morphological and genetic differences all three forms are today separate species.
The Japanese sea lion lived in the coastal waters on both sides of Japan and in the Japanese Sea between Japan and Korea, always near to the coastline.
Body length: Males 230-250 cm. Females much smaller, only 140-164 cm
Body weight: 450-560 kg. The small females of course much lighter than males
Color: Dark grey-brown or black (old males), female lighter color than males.
Lifespan: about 30 years.
Extinction in the Wild: Because of overhunting the Japanese sea lion was driven to extinction in the 1950ies. Last sighting of 50-60 animals in 1951 on the Liancourt Rocks
