H O UG H T O N MIF F L IN by Catherine Godine PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover Jeff Rotman/Alamy © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures (bkgd) Siede Preis © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures © Alistair Dove/Alamy © MITSUAKI IWAGO/Minden Pictures © MITSUAKI IWAGO/Minden Pictures (l) © Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures (r) © SUZI ESZTERHAS/Minden Pictures Visual & Written SL/Alamy © Frans Lanting/Minden Pictures © Visions of America, LLC/Alamy 10 Jeff Rotman/Alamy Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers, Attn: Permissions, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777 Printed in China ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02186-7 ISBN-10: 0-547-02186-0 0940 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format Introduction If they are very lucky, visitors to the coast of California get a treat They get to see sea lions These noisy, playful animals swim in the bays of California They swim alone or in groups Sometimes they leap and dive in the water They also float together in a group, looking like a large raft They even ride the rippled waves like surfers Visitors aboard boats might see sea lions sleeping on islands The sea lions rest with their noses pointing to the sky or lie stacked on top of one another on a large rock Visitors can hear sea lions, too Sea lions bark, honk, and trumpet to each other Some even roar Visitors to the coast of California see sea lions play and swim What Are Sea Lions? Sea lions are mammals Mammals are warm-blooded animals with hair or fur Female mammals produce milk to feed their young Sea lions can grow to be to 11 feet long They can weigh from 77 to 2,400 pounds Sea lions have whiskers and fur, fins and flippers They have large eyes to help them see underwater Their teeth are sharp and pointed, good for catching and eating food Male seal lions are much bigger than females eyes fur whiskers fins flippers Sea lions are great swimmers They have a sleek body that’s perfect for moving through the water Long flippers help them make powerful strokes while swimming They can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour for short periods This helps them escape from their enemies Seal or Sea Lion? How can you tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal? Both are mammals, and both have flippers Blubber keeps them warm during any cold ocean voyage And both like to eat! Sea lions have small ear flaps Seals have just a tiny opening through which they hear And sea lions can rotate, or twist, their back flippers to help them scoot along when they are on land Seals can’t rotate their flippers Sea lions use their flippers to move on land Seals can’t this Sea lions dive and then surface like whales Where Do Sea Lions Live? Many sea lions live in the waters of California They also live in waters near Oregon and Washington and in Canada Sea lions can dive down as far as 600 feet in search of tasty food They are mammals, though, so they cannot stay underwater forever They must return to the surface to breathe Sea lions play on the rocks formed by lava from a volcano long ago Sea lions can live on land too They can be spotted on beaches, islands, or rocks near the coast They spend most of their day sleeping on land They also gather at marinas or wharves and rest on old anchors At night they hunt for food Sea lion pups are born on land A few weeks after their arrival, they begin to learn to swim and fish How Smart Are Sea Lions? Sea lions are smart They can be trained to toss objects in the air and catch them on their noses They can be guided to perform these tricks on cue Sea lions often perform at zoos and aquariums Scientists study sea lions They are interested in finding out how sea lions work together Sea lions perform at many zoos and aquariums Are Sea Lions in Danger? Sea lions were once hunted for their skin and oil Many died Now laws keep them safe from hunters Sea lions are still in danger Oil and garbage dumped in oceans by humans hurt them But many people are working to keep them safe 10 Responding Word Builder Make a web around the word bay List animals you would see in bays Copy the web and add words TARGET VOCABULARY sea lion bay Write About It Text to Self Describe a bay Tell what animals you would see, and why you want to see them Use words from the web 11 TARGET VOCABULARY aboard anchor arrival bay guided lava rippled spotted twisted voyage Infer/Predict Use clues to figure out more about the selection TARGET STRATEGY Remove the first letter and you can use this to build a house 12 Level: M DRA: 28 Science Strategy: Infer/Predict Word Count: 618 3.5.24 Build Vocabulary HOUGHTON MIFFLIN Online Leveled Books ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02186-7 ISBN-10: 0-547-02186-0 1032079 ... cue Sea lions often perform at zoos and aquariums Scientists study sea lions They are interested in finding out how sea lions work together Sea lions perform at many zoos and aquariums Are Sea Lions. .. can’t rotate their flippers Sea lions use their flippers to move on land Seals can’t this Sea lions dive and then surface like whales Where Do Sea Lions Live? Many sea lions live in the waters of... might see sea lions sleeping on islands The sea lions rest with their noses pointing to the sky or lie stacked on top of one another on a large rock Visitors can hear sea lions, too Sea lions bark,