[24], Gestation lasts 15 to 16 months. Although Carroll accurately portrays the biological walrus's appetite for bivalve mollusks, oysters, primarily nearshore and intertidal inhabitants, these organisms in fact comprise an insignificant portion of its diet in captivity. Breeding occurs from January to March, peaking in February. [1] The Pacific walrus is not listed as "depleted" according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act nor as "threatened" or "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. O. rosmarus laptevi (debated). descended from a single ancestor, or diphyletic, recent genetic evidence suggests all three descended from a caniform ancestor most closely related to modern bears. In relation to relatives, walruses are more peaceful than other seals. The walrus palate is uniquely vaulted, enabling effective suction. This strategy of delayed implantation, common among pinnipeds, presumably evolved to optimize both the mating season and the birthing season, determined by ecological conditions that promote newborn survival. Seasonal migrations of walruses are very short: in winter they move to the south, but only a few hundred kilometers, which is not enough for such animals. They weigh 45 to 75 kg (99 to 165 lb) at birth and are able to swim. [18] Length typically ranges from 2.2 to 3.6 m (7 ft 3 in to 11 ft 10 in). Tusks are also used to form and maintain holes in the ice and aid the walrus in climbing out of water onto ice. Its first part is thought to derive from a word such as Dutch walvis "whale". Unlike seals walruses avoid extensive water spaces and endless pack (long-term) ice, so they are found only on the coasts of Europe, Asia, North America and the Arctic islands. [76] The meat, often preserved, is an important winter nutrition source; the flippers are fermented and stored as a delicacy until spring; tusks and bone were historically used for tools, as well as material for handicrafts; the oil was rendered for warmth and light; the tough hide made rope and house and boat coverings; and the intestines and gut linings made waterproof parkas. [19][20] Newborn walruses are already quite large, averaging 33 to 85 kg (73 to 187 lb) in weight and 1 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length across both sexes and subspecies. Atlantic walruses can be found from northeast Canada to Greenland, while Pacific walruses are seen off Russia and Alaska. The current population of these walruses has been estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000. There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens). As with otariids, it can turn its rear flippers forward and move on all fours; however, its swimming technique is more like that of true seals, relying less on flippers and more on sinuous whole body movements. [17] The Atlantic subspecies weighs about 10–20% less than the Pacific subspecies. The males possess a large baculum (penis bone), up to 63 cm (25 in) in length, the largest of any land mammal, both in absolute size and relative to body size. Whales are classified with the cetacean group (dolphins, porpoises, toothed whales and baleen whales). The polar bear often hunts the walrus by rushing at beached aggregations and consuming the individuals crushed or wounded in the sudden exodus, typically younger or infirm animals. A lone mountain walrus makes the trek across the Nevada desert. [6] For example, the Old Norse word hrossvalr means "horse-whale" and is thought to have been passed in an inverted form to both Dutch and the dialects of northern Germany as walros and Walross. From adistance the walrus appears to be without fur. [26], Aside from the vibrissae, the walrus is sparsely covered with fur and appears bald. An estimated four to seven thousand Pacific walruses are harvested in Alaska and in Russia, including a significant portion (about 42%) of struck and lost animals. Walruses are very sensitive to disturbances. What Do Walruses Eat? With its huge, rounded body and long tusks, a walrus can be easily identified. [10], The compound Odobenus comes from odous (Greek for "teeth") and baino (Greek for "walk"), based on observations of walruses using their tusks to pull themselves out of the water. 3. During their lifetimes, male and female walruses live apart, in separate herds. [63][64] Rarely, incidents of walruses preying on seabirds, particularly the Brünnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia), have been documented. [45][46] There were roughly 200,000 Pacific walruses in 1990. I Am the Walrus The walrus has many adaptations that enable it to live in the harsh, frigid conditions near the Arctic Circle. Their name, Odobenus rosmarus, means 'one that walks with teeth'. Laptev walruses live in the Laptev Sea of Russia. Several place names in Iceland, Greenland and Norway may originate from walrus sites: Hvalfjord, Hvallatrar and Hvalsnes to name some, all being typical walrus breeding grounds. Skin and bone are used in some ceremonies, and the animal appears frequently in legends. Walrus tusks were a big commodity during the period, with Europeans willing to pay big money or trade iron and much-needed timber (trees are scarce in Greenland) for the ivory. Thus they tend to live relatively long life spans of around 30 years. The scientific name for the walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for “tooth walking sea-horse.” Record Holder. Atlantic walruses inhabit coastal areas from northeastern Canada to Greenland, while Pacific walruses inhabit the northern seas off Russia and Alaska, … [54], The isolated population of Laptev Sea walruses is confined year-round to the central and western regions of the Laptev Sea, the eastmost regions of the Kara Sea, and the westmost regions of the East Siberian Sea. They can remain submerged for as long as half an hour. [61], Aside from the large numbers of organisms actually consumed by the walrus, its foraging has a large peripheral impact on benthic communities. Walruses have few predators other than the occasional killer whale or brave polar bear. What do walruses eat? The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. [15] From there, it presumably recolonized the North Pacific Ocean during high glaciation periods in the Pleistocene via the Central American Seaway. This blubber keeps them warm and the fat provides energy to the walrus. Check out their videos, sign up to chat, and join their community. [53] A genetically distinct population existed in Iceland that was wiped out after Norse settlement around 1213–1330 AD. The range of walruses is circumpolar, that is, it encloses the North Pole. [74] Commercial walrus harvesting is now outlawed throughout its range, although Chukchi, Yupik and Inuit peoples[75] are permitted to kill small numbers towards the end of each summer. Because skin blood vessels constrict in cold water, the walrus can appear almost white when swimming. [78], Hunter sitting on dozens of walruses killed for their tusks, 1911, Walrus tusk scrimshaw made by Chukchi artisans depicting polar bears attacking walruses, on display in the Magadan Regional Museum, Magadan, Russia, Trained walrus in captivity at Marineland, Walrus being fed at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden, 1908, Walrus hunts are regulated by resource managers in Russia, the United States, Canada, and Denmark, and representatives of the respective hunting communities. [4] They are not particularly deep divers compared to other pinnipeds; their deepest recorded dives are around 80 m (260 ft). [62] There have been isolated observations of walruses preying on seals up to the size of a 200 kg (440 lb) bearded seal. The walrus population in Greenland's Thule district may be stable but the population off central west Greenland remains depleted. Walruses are widely distributed but occupy a relatively narrow ecological niche, requiring areas of shallow water. However, vision in this species appears to be more suited for short-range. DESCRIPTION: Walruses are easily distinguished by their long, white tusks, cinnamon-brown skin, grizzled whiskers, and bodies full of blubber. O. rosmarus rosmarus Walrus aren’t called the Giants or Kings of the Arctic for no reason! The origin of the word walrus is thought by J.R.R. SushiWalrus streams live on Twitch! [70] However, even an injured walrus is a formidable opponent for a polar bear, and direct attacks are rare. [24] Tusks were once thought to be used to dig out prey from the seabed, but analyses of abrasion patterns on the tusks indicate they are dragged through the sediment while the upper edge of the snout is used for digging. [4] Also like phocids, it lacks external ears. The species name rosmarus is Scandinavian. [14] The key distinguishing feature was the development of a squirt/suction feeding mechanism; tusks are a later feature specific to Odobeninae, of which the modern walrus is the last remaining (relict) species. [49] The Atlantic walrus once ranged south to Sable Island, Nova Scotia, and as late as the 18th century was found in large numbers in the Greater Gulf of St. Lawrence region, sometimes in colonies of up to 7,000 to 8,000 individuals. Adult walrus are characterised by prominent tusks and whiskers, and their considerable bulk: adult males in the Pacific can weigh more than 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds)[3] and, among pinnipeds, are exceeded in size only by the two species of elephant seals. The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. N'T really have to worry about being eaten while they slumber either regions! 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