Sea lions (left) are brown, bark loudly, "walk" on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. Many people confuse seals and sea lions as they share many similarities. Chances are pretty good it was of a cute, barking, big-flippered marine mammal balancing a ball on its nose. Although they feed in the sea, they surface for air. Seals and sea lions are both mammals. They are both members of the order Pinnipedia, which means “feather footed.” Pinnipeds have a substantial system of nerves in their upper lips and use thick whiskers called vibrissae to find food. They return to land to give birth and nurse their young. The breakdown of these families looks something like this: Taxonomic discussions tend to be a bit muddled as scientists strive to classify all the different species on the planet. It may come as a surprise, but when most people think of a seal they really aren't thinking of a seal at all. Seals and sea lions share adaptations for living in the sea—including blubber, flippers, and streamlined bodies. Seals and sea lions are marine mammals called ' pinnipeds ' that differ in physical characteristics and adaptations. That cute animal with the ball on its nose is in fact a sea lion. Both types of seals, sea lions and walruses are all considered to be in the suborder Pinnipedia, which is usually translated as \"fin-footed\" or \"feather-footed.\" Pinnipeds (within the order Carnivora) consist of three families. Seals have small flippers, wriggle on …