| Animal | Walrus |
| Scientific Name | Odobenus rosmarus |
| Type | Mammals |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Lifespan | 40 years |
| Size | 2.6 – 4 m |
| Weight | 1200 kg – 2000 kg |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Conservation status | Least concern > Near threatened > Vulnerable > Endangered > Critically endangered > Extinct in the wild > Extinct |
Walruses are large mammals that can be found in ice floes close to the arctic circle. They have large tusks and a mustache, which’s hairs are as sensitive to touch as a human’s finger is. In the summer or autumn, they migrate from their sheet of ice to outcrops and rocky shores.
Diet & Predators
The walruses dive into the water to find the food they eat, which consists mostly of animals found at the bottom of the sea such as fish, worms, sea snails, shellfish, and shrimp. They can dive as far as eighty meters and can hold their breath for a max of thirty minutes.
Walruses don’t have many predators as they have huge tusks and massive body filled with fat. They only have to watch out for polar bears and killer whales, which generally only hunt the calves. Humans are also a threat, they might hunt for tusks, meat, skin, and oil.
Adapting to The Arctic
The walrus’s body is full of fat and blubber, which keeps it cold in the freezing climate. They can also slow their heartbeat. They are great divers and can detect food underwater using their whiskers and mustache, which, as previously mentioned, are as sensitive as a human finger.
Breeding
Mating takes place underwater. The walruses are in a fifteen-to-sixteen-month gestation period, and one calf is given birth. Despite being weaned for just a year, they might stay with their mother for up to five years.
The calves become sexually mature at different ages, depending on their sex. Males become mature at seven years old and breed once ten to fifteen years old, while females become mature at just four to six years.
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References:
- Walrus on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walrus
- Walrus on National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/w/walrus/
- Walrus on The Animal Files – https://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/seals_sea_lions/walrus.html
