Galapagos sea lion vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Zalophus wollebaeki compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Galapagos sea lion is Endangered while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Galapagos sea lion	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Reptilia (Reptil)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Testudines (Kura-kura)
Family	Otariidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Zalophus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Zalophus wollebaeki	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

Galapagos sea lion and Leatherback Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Galapagos sea lion

EN — Endangered

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Galapagos sea lion	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	2.0 m
Average Weight	—	500.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Galapagos sea lion

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The leatherback is the largest living turtle and the fourth-heaviest reptile. Unlike other turtles, it has a soft, leathery shell.