In my search for a new ring tone this evening I found the perfect thing...

http://animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/SOUND/animal_sounds_16-sea_lion.mp3


then, I saw this....

http://animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/SOUND/animal_sounds_21-seal.mp3


I thought they were the same thing though?

(Seals and Sea lions)

Sealions are those black slinky looking thangs that balance balls on their noses at the zoo, seals are those furry furred fat blubbery ones that the hunters bash for making expensive coats?

A seal at Chester Zoo:



A Californian Harbor Seal:



But I can't pretend to know the difference in species/genetics.

Sea lions have external ear-flaps, but seals do not. Also, sea lions can pulls their hind limbs forward to use as 'back legs' when on land. Seals cannot do this.

Sea lions, seals, and walruses are in a scientific group of animals called Pinnipeds, which means "wing foot" or "feather foot." You could probably pick out a walrus if you saw one, but how do you tell sea lions and seals apart? Both are marine mammals, spending a good part of each day in the ocean to find their food. They both have flippers at the end of their limbs to help them swim. Like all marine mammals they have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm in the chilly ocean. And they both like to eat fish—lots of fish! So what do you look at to tell who’s who? Their ears. If you see a small ear flap on each side of its head, you are looking at a sea lion. Seals just have a tiny opening for their ears. Sea lions are also able to rotate their hind flippers forward to help them scoot along beaches and rocky shorelines. Seals cannot do this, and must wriggle, hunch, roll, or slide to get around out of the water.



Sorry, clicked off those websites so cant tell youu who I just plagerised (copy&pasted) from, but one was a "seek and print" and the other San Diego Zoo.

Hope that helps - oh and obviously you found out they sound different too!

I have a sheep ringtone Megs if you want it
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Thanks for that Alice, so there we have it, something (else) I didn't know.

And I have got a sheep ringtone too thanks LV, but I have fallen in love with mynew sealion tone for the minute.

Seals/Sealions are cool though, I want one.

Can they both balance balls on their noses then or is it just Sealions?

If that is the case, I only want a Sealion....

we've got an illuminated one of them on the sea front
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Only the sealions i think Macky, seals cant get up on their back flippers. Actually, my pregnant cat Polly looks just like that californian seal tonight!

No, but at the moment she looks like she swallowed one! Oooh dont like puddytats eh? You better not say that when i post up the pics of the babies!!
Hell, they are gonna be as cute as their mamma!!
(Polly i mean, not me obviously).