Steller or Northern Sea Lions are sometimes confused with California Sea Lions but are much larger and lighter in color. Males may grow to 11 feet in length and weigh almost 2,500 pounds. 【小题1】 Steller Sea Lions are light brown to reddish-brown in color. They have a boxy, bear-like head and a very thick neck.

Stellers are not often seen in bays or rivers. Steller pups are born on offshore islands from mid-May to mid-July and weigh 35—50 pounds. 【小题2】 Then they spend roughly equal amounts of time hunting and nursing pups on land. Pups usually nurse for a year, but some in Alaska continue to nurse for up to three years. During the breeding season, males do not leave their territories.

【小题3】 They hunt schooling fish, squid, rockfish, and occasionally salmon. In turn, they are hunted by killer whales, white sharks, and sea elephants.

The current population of Steller Sea Lions is about 40,000 along the entire Pacific coast. There is great concern about this species. The western Aleutian stock has dropped by 80 percent in the last 30 years. In 1997, the western stock in Alaska was listed as endangered. 【小题4】 However, researchers believe possibilities include a decline in specific species of fish they eat, competition with commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska, and possible hunting by killer whales. Drowning, being caught in nets, and gunshots are other reasons for the Stellers’ decline. Stellers are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 【小题5】