Most of the pacific walruses live on and between the northern coast of eastern Siberia and the northern shore of Alaska. Walruses are generally found where the water is no more than 80 m (262 ft.) deep. [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. Early aerial censuses of Pacific walrus conducted at five-year intervals between 1975 and 1985 estimated populations of above 220,000 in each of the three surveys. These are elongated canines, which are present in both male and female walruses and can reach a length of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and weigh up to 5.4 kg (12 lb). The first three to four months are spent with the blastula in suspended development before it implants itself in the uterus. David Attenborough, the series' narrator, blames the incident on changes to the Arctic ecosystem that walruses inhabit. Adult walrus … Thinner pack ice over the Bering Sea has reduced the amount of resting habitat near optimal feeding grounds. The recorded largest tusks are just over 30 inches and 37 inches long respectively. As a result of less sea ice, walrus are changing their behavior. The Russian Atlantic and Laptev Sea populations are classified as Category 2 (decreasing) and Category 3 (rare) in the Russian Red Book. 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. Fixed genetic differences between the Atlantic and Pacific subspecies indicate very restricted gene flow, but relatively recent separation, estimated at 500,000 and 785,000 years ago. The Norwegian manuscript Konungsskuggsja, thought to date from around AD 1240, refers to the walrus as "rosmhvalr" in Iceland and "rostungr" in Greenland (walruses were by now extinct in Iceland and Norway, while the word evolved in Greenland). [27] The males reach sexual maturity as early as seven years, but do not typically mate until fully developed at around 15 years of age. The archaic English word for walrus—morse—is widely thought to have come from the Slavic languages,[9] which in turn borrowed it from Finno-Ugric languages. The extent and thickness of the pack ice has reached unusually low levels in several recent years. Antarctic pinnipeds are some of the most unique on Earth, ranging from the filter feeding crabeater seal to the carnivorous leopard seal. Walruses are very sensitive to disturbances. The name of the walrus means “tooth walker”. Walruses are widely distributed but occupy a relatively narrow ecological niche, requiring areas of shallow water. Their name, Odobenus rosmarus, means 'one that walks with teeth'. Its first part is thought to derive from a word such as Dutch walvis "whale". [28] The females join them and copulate in the water. The walrus is a mammal in the order Carnivora. [45][46] There were roughly 200,000 Pacific walruses in 1990. Check out their videos, sign up to chat, and join their community. An occasional male of the Pacific subspecies far exceeds normal dimensions. [65] Walruses may occasionally prey on ice-entrapped narwhals and scavenge on whale carcasses but there is little evidence to prove this. [1] All told, the walrus is the third largest pinniped species, after the two elephant seals. [15] These dates coincide with the hypothesis derived from fossils that the walrus evolved from a tropical or subtropical ancestor that became isolated in the Atlantic Ocean and gradually adapted to colder conditions in the Arctic. [citation needed][56][57], Walruses prefer shallow shelf regions and forage primarily on the sea floor, often from sea ice platforms. [51][52] In April 2006, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the population of the northwestern Atlantic walrus in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador as having been eradicated in Canada. The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of anywhere else on Earth. What Do Walruses Eat? For more on walruses and related topics, try some of the links floating around on the next page. Walruses spend one third of their time on land or pack ice and the other two thirds in the ocean. Pacific walruses live … [4] A 28,000-year-old fossil walrus was dredged up from the bottom of San Francisco Bay, indicating that Pacific walruses ranged that far south during the last Ice Age. [26], Aside from the vibrissae, the walrus is sparsely covered with fur and appears bald. As a secondary sexual characteristic, males also acquire significant nodules, called "bosses", particularly around the neck and shoulders. Because of its distinctive appearance, great bulk, and immediately recognizable whiskers and tusks, the walrus also appears in the popular cultures of peoples with little direct experience with the animal, particularly in English children's literature. They appear awkward on land but graceful in the water where they feel most comfortable. 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. [4] They rut from January through April, decreasing their food intake dramatically. From adistance the walrus appears to be without fur. [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. Atlantic walruses can be found from northeast Canada to Greenland, while Pacific walruses are seen off Russia and Alaska. What do walruses eat? [87][88], Walrus ivory masks made by Yupik in Alaska, John Tenniel's illustration for Lewis Carroll's poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter", Dutch explorers fight a walrus on the coast of Novaya Zemlya, 1596. Since walruses have few natural predators, they don't really have to worry about being eaten while they slumber either. "Estimating the harvest of Pacific walrus, "An assessment of Greenland walrus populations", "Wildlife Conservation | Deer Hunting | Elk Hunting | Big Game Hunting", "Warming Arctic Is Taking a Toll, Peril to Walrus Young Seen as Result of Melting Ice Shelf", "Global warming could reverse a walrus comeback", "As Arctic Sea ice reaches annual minimum, large number of walrus corpses found", "Pacific Walrus and climate change: observations and predictions", "Group plans to sue over walrus protection", "The Folklore of Northeastern Asia, as Compared with That of Northwestern America", "The Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay", "The use of molluscs to occupy Pacific walrusses (, "The Delights of Parsing the Beatles' Most Nonsensical Song", Biologist Tracks Walruses Forced Ashore As Ice Melts, Thousands Of Walruses Crowd Ashore Due To Melting Sea Ice, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walrus&oldid=997415948, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2019, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2019, Taxonbars with automatically added original combinations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 11:30. They are able to stay under the water for about 30 minutes before coming up for air. [23] Tusks are slightly longer and thicker among males, which use them for fighting, dominance and display; the strongest males with the largest tusks typically dominate social groups. Armed with its ivory tusks, walruses have been known to fatally injure polar bears in battles if the latter follows the other into the water, where the bear is at a disadvantage. [26] The vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves, making them highly sensitive organs capable of differentiating shapes 3 mm (1⁄8 in) thick and 2 mm (3⁄32 in) wide. The greatest number of these animals lives on the Chukchi Peninsula, the banks of the Bering Strait and the Labrador Peninsula, and few walruses in the western and central parts of the Eurasian coast. [63][64] Rarely, incidents of walruses preying on seabirds, particularly the Brünnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia), have been documented. [55] Global trade in walrus ivory is restricted according to a CITES Appendix 3 listing. Laptev walruses live in the Laptev Sea of Russia. The walrus is a large pinniped with upper canine teeth that grow into long tusks. Traditional hunters used all parts of the walrus. They tend to stay close to the shorelines but they will dive up to 260 feet to find food that they want to consume. The blubber layer beneath is up to 15 cm (6 in) thick. Tolkien[5] to derive from a Germanic language, and it has been attributed largely to either the Dutch language or Old Norse. Seals are classified with the pinniped group (seals, sea lions, walrus). Threats and Status: The walrus lives on the edge of the Arctic ice sheet and is often hunted by polar bears and killer whales (orcas). This species is subdivided into two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean. 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. [21], While this was not true of all extinct walruses,[22] the most prominent feature of the living species is its long tusks. Perhaps its best-known appearance is in Lewis Carroll's whimsical poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that appears in his 1871 book Through the Looking-Glass. [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. [66][67], Due to its great size and tusks, the walrus has only two natural predators: the killer whale (orca) and the polar bear. There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens). In winter large numbers can be found throughout the Bering Strait and into the Bering Sea, along the eastern Siberian Coast and southern coast of Alaska. Walruses occur in gravel-bottom habitats and they are found in water at a maximum depth of 262 feet. [15] From there, it presumably recolonized the North Pacific Ocean during high glaciation periods in the Pleistocene via the Central American Seaway. The walrus palate is uniquely vaulted, enabling effective suction. What are walrus mating rituals like? [29] Calves are born during the spring migration, from April to June. Limits on commercial hunting allowed the population to increase to a peak in the 1970s-1980s, but subsequently, walrus numbers have again declined. In the spring and fall, walruses congregate throughout the Bering Strait, reaching from the western coast of Alaska to the Gulf of Anadyr. The distinctive 12th-century Lewis Chessmen from northern Europe are carved from walrus ivory. During the 19th century and the early 20th century, walruses were widely hunted and killed for their blubber, walrus ivory, and meat. Even in the mating season, they do not have fatal battles, adults do not squeeze the young as it happens in other species. [according to whom? The current population of these walruses has been estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000. Because skin blood vessels constrict in cold water, the walrus can appear almost white when swimming. Due to the reduction in abundance, the walrus area now exploded into several unconnected sites. [70] However, even an injured walrus is a formidable opponent for a polar bear, and direct attacks are rare. Walruses lead a herd life. Perhaps some individuals can live up to 40 and even 50 years. Walruses are commonly found on the ice in the Arctic Circle. During the winter months when the ice is at its thickest, Walruses tend to prefer areas of thinner ice that they can easily break through to the surface from the water underneath. Today the biggest threat facing walruses is the loss of stable sea ice due to climate change. If another animal decided to make a meal of a napping walrus, the water would actually be the toothy beast's best chance of escape. Even in the presence of a free area, a herd of walruses does not disperse along the coastline, but keeps cumulatively, just as they dive together into the water. [31] Because ovulation is suppressed until the calf is weaned, females give birth at most every two years, leaving the walrus with the lowest reproductive rate of any pinniped. [61], Aside from the large numbers of organisms actually consumed by the walrus, its foraging has a large peripheral impact on benthic communities. [53] A genetically distinct population existed in Iceland that was wiped out after Norse settlement around 1213–1330 AD. 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. Its second part has also been hypothesized to come from the Old Norse word for "horse". The population of walruses dropped rapidly all around the Arctic region. [35], Commercial harvesting reduced the population of the Pacific walrus to between 50,000 and 100,000 in the 1950s-1960s. [25] While the dentition of walruses is highly variable, they generally have relatively few teeth other than the tusks. In October 2017, the Center for Biological Diversity announced they would sue the U.S. … It is represented by two subspecies, the Atlantic and the Pacific walrus. The walrus population in Greenland's Thule district may be stable but the population off central west Greenland remains depleted. 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. SushiWalrus streams live on Twitch! It is the sole surviving member of the family Odobenidae, one of three lineages in the suborder Pinnipedia along with true seals (Phocidae) and eared seals (Otariidae). [24][33], The majority of the population of the Pacific walrus spends its summers north of the Bering Strait in the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of eastern Siberia, around Wrangel Island, in the Beaufort Sea along the northern shore of Alaska south to Unimak Island,[34] and in the waters between those locations. Walrus use their mighty tusks to forage and lift themselves up onto sea ice. Both in Chukotka and Alaska, the aurora borealis is believed to be a special world inhabited by those who died by violence, the changing rays representing deceased souls playing ball with a walrus head. The Boone and Crockett Big Game Record book has entries for Atlantic and Pacific walrus. However, vision in this species appears to be more suited for short-range. [91], 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T15106A45228501.en, "Use of spectral analysis to test hypotheses on the origin of pinnipeds", "Phylogeny and divergence of the pinnipeds (Carnivora: Mammalia) assessed using a multigene dataset", 10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[411:ANMOMC]2.0.CO;2, "State of Circumpolar Walrus Populations : Odobenus rosmarus", "A new tuskless walrus from the Miocene of Orange County, California, with comments on the diversity and taxonomy of odobenids". Thus they tend to live relatively long life spans of around 30 years. They prefer a habitat with a gravelly bottom. [4] Walruses live mostly in shallow waters above the continental shelves, spending significant amounts of their lives on the sea ice looking for benthic bivalve mollusks to eat. [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44], In 2006, the population of the Pacific walrus was estimated to be around 129,000 on the basis of an aerial census combined with satellite tracking. Since a walrus's hide usually accounts for about 20% of its body weight, the total body mass of these two giants is estimated to have been at least 2,300 kg (5,000 lb). The maximal number of teeth is 38 with dentition formula: 3.1.4.23.1.3.2, but over half of the teeth are rudimentary and occur with less than 50% frequency, such that a typical dentition includes only 18 teeth 1.1.3.00.1.3.0[4], Surrounding the tusks is a broad mat of stiff bristles ("mystacial vibrissae"), giving the walrus a characteristic whiskered appearance. Walruses spend about two-thirds of their lives in the water. [50] This population was nearly eradicated by commercial harvest; their current numbers, though difficult to estimate, probably remain below 20,000. Both male and female walruses have large tusks that clearly distinguish them from other marine mammals. Fish and Wildlife Service to force it to classify the Pacific Walrus as a threatened or endangered species. [55], Even though walruses can dive to depths beyond 500 meters, they spend most of their time in shallow waters (and the nearby ice floes) hunting for food. For example, in a Chukchi version of the widespread myth of the Raven, in which Raven recovers the sun and the moon from an evil spirit by seducing his daughter, the angry father throws the daughter from a high cliff and, as she drops into the water, she turns into a walrus – possibly the original walrus. This mammal lives in the Arctic Ocean and feeds on shellfish from the seabed. Due to the overwhelming size of the walrus it is no surprise that they consume very large amounts of food. Growing up to 3,750 pounds, male Pacific walruses are larger than females and measure approximately 10 feet long. The scientific name for the walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for “tooth walking sea-horse.” Record Holder. [58], The walrus has a diverse and opportunistic diet, feeding on more than 60 genera of marine organisms, including shrimp, crabs, tube worms, soft corals, tunicates, sea cucumbers, various mollusks, and even parts of other pinnipeds. [85], Currently, two of the three walrus subspecies are listed as "least-concern" by the IUCN, while the third is "data deficient". Walruses have few predators other than the occasional killer whale or brave polar bear. This more widely separates lactating females from their calves, increasing nutritional stress for the young and lower reproductive rates. As you read these walrus facts you can be confident that your knowledge about them is going to continue to expand. A lone mountain walrus makes the trek across the Nevada desert. Big Arctic animals – walruses live about 20-30 years. [87] This myth is possibly related to the Chukchi myth of the old walrus-headed woman who rules the bottom of the sea, who is in turn linked to the Inuit goddess Sedna. [25], Seal tissue has been observed in fairly significant proportion of walrus stomachs in the Pacific, but the importance of seals in the walrus diet is under debate. There can be 400 to 700 vibrissae in 13 to 15 rows reaching 30 cm (12 in) in length, though in the wild they are often worn to much shorter lengths due to constant use in foraging. [47][48], The much smaller population of Atlantic walruses ranges from the Canadian Arctic, across Greenland, Svalbard, and the western part of Arctic Russia. Walruses Are Related to Seals and Sea Lions. This species is subdivided into two subspecies:[2] the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean. The extraocular muscles of the walrus are well-developed. Skin and bone are used in some ceremonies, and the animal appears frequently in legends. They weigh 45 to 75 kg (99 to 165 lb) at birth and are able to swim. O. rosmarus laptevi (debated). The females begin ovulating as soon as four to six years old. In 1909, a walrus hide weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb) was collected from an enormous bull in Franz Josef Land, while in August 1910, Jack Woodson shot a 4.9-metre-long (16 ft) walrus, harvesting its 450 kg (1,000 lb) hide. A female usually gives birth to a single calf once every three to four years. [24], Gestation lasts 15 to 16 months. Olaus Magnus, who depicted the walrus in the Carta Marina in 1539, first referred to the walrus as the ros marus, probably a Latinization of morž, and this was adopted by Linnaeus in his binomial nomenclature. The walrus's body shape shares features with both sea lions (eared seals: Otariidae) and seals (true seals: Phocidae). Unlike other pinnipeds, walruses at rookeries try to lie as close to each other as possible, and they do it not from lack of space, but quite consciously. They can swim to a depth of around 100m to feed on molluscs and other invertebrates, but on average do not go much deeper than 20-30m. [90], Another appearance of the walrus in literature is in the story "The White Seal" in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, where it is the "old Sea Vitch—the big, ugly, bloated, pimpled, fat-necked, long-tusked walrus of the North Pacific, who has no manners except when he is asleep". The range of walruses is circumpolar, that is, it encloses the North Pole. [18] Length typically ranges from 2.2 to 3.6 m (7 ft 3 in to 11 ft 10 in). Walruses are pinnipeds, which classifies them in … [68] The walrus does not, however, comprise a significant component of either of these predators' diets. 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. 3. Walruses are relatively long-lived, social animals, and they are considered to be a "keystone species" in the Arctic marine regions. In the poem, the eponymous antiheroes use trickery to consume a great number of oysters. 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. [24] Walrus milk contains higher amounts of fats and protein compared to land animals but lower compared to phocid seals. 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. The walrus herds in the Laptev Sea area are relatively settled, moving very little by comparison. [4] Male Atlantic walrus weigh an average of 900 kg (2,000 lb). In late spring and summer, for example, several hundred thousand Pacific walruses migrate from the Bering Sea into the Chukchi Sea through the relatively narrow Bering Strait. 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. Females weigh about two-thirds as much as males, with the Atlantic females averaging 560 kg (1,230 lb), sometimes weighing as little as 400 kg (880 lb), and the Pacific female averaging 800 kg (1,800 lb). After a … 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. 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. 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. [79] Several hundred are removed annually around Greenland. It disturbs (bioturbates) the sea floor, releasing nutrients into the water column, encouraging mixing and movement of many organisms and increasing the patchiness of the benthos. [69] The bears also isolate walruses when they overwinter and are unable to escape a charging bear due to inaccessible diving holes in the ice. [citation needed]. The diet of the Pacific walrus consist almost exclusively of benthic invertebrates (97 percent). Where do walruses live? About two-thirds of the lives of these animals is spent underwater. Due to the reduction in abundance, the walrus area now exploded into several unconnected sites. While some outsized Pacific males can weigh as much as 2,000 kg (4,400 lb), most weigh between 800 and 1,700 kg (1,800 and 3,700 lb). According to Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, European hunters and Arctic explorers found walrus meat not particularly tasty, and only ate it in case of necessity; however walrus tongue was a delicacy. Both male and female walruses have tusks (long teeth), although the tusks are longer and thicker on males. Breeding occurs from January to March, peaking in February. Walruses maintain such a high body weight because of the blubber stored underneath their skin. O. rosmarus divergens [3] The Atlantic walrus also tends to have relatively shorter tusks and somewhat more flattened snout. [4], Walruses live to about 20–30 years old in the wild. Atlantic walruses live in the coastal areas along northeastern Canada to Greenland. They can remain submerged for as long as half an hour. [82] Reduced coastal sea ice has also been implicated in the increase of stampeding deaths crowding the shorelines of the Chukchi Sea between eastern Russia and western Alaska. Each one features from 400 to 700 whiskers. The walrus is the only living species in the family Odobenidae and genus Odobenus. During their lifetimes, male and female walruses live apart, in separate herds. [32], The rest of the year (late summer and fall), walruses tend to form massive aggregations of tens of thousands of individuals on rocky beaches or outcrops. The tusks of a full grown walrus can weigh 12 pounds. 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. [81], The effects of global climate change are another element of concern. In the warmer summer months when the ice recedes, Walruses can be found more commonly on remote areas of rocky coastline. Young walruses are deep brown and grow paler and more cinnamon-colored as they age. While there has been some debate as to whether all three lineages are monophyletic, i.e. [60] The walrus sucks the meat out by sealing its powerful lips to the organism and withdrawing its piston-like tongue rapidly into its mouth, creating a vacuum. [89], The "walrus" in the cryptic Beatles song "I Am the Walrus" is a reference to the Lewis Carroll poem. [62] There have been isolated observations of walruses preying on seals up to the size of a 200 kg (440 lb) bearded seal. Atlantic walruses inhabit coastal areas from northeastern Canada to Greenland, while Pacific walruses inhabit the northern seas off Russia and Alaska, … They winter over in the Bering Sea along the eastern coast of Siberia south to the northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and along the southern coast of Alaska. Tusks are also used to form and maintain holes in the ice and aid the walrus in climbing out of water onto ice. The origin of the word walrus is thought by J.R.R. [83][84] Analysis of trends in ice cover published in 2012 indicate that Pacific walrus populations are likely to continue to decline for the foreseeable future, and shift further north, but that careful conservation management might be able to limit these effects. descended from a single ancestor, or diphyletic, recent genetic evidence suggests all three descended from a caniform ancestor most closely related to modern bears. 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The dentition of walruses, although the tusks of a full grown walrus can appear almost white swimming... Ecological niche, requiring areas of rocky coastline to run within 2 weeks of being,... Tusks and somewhat more flattened snout is Latin for “ tooth walking sea-horse. ” Record Holder rapidly around. 15 to 16 months the young can spend up to chat, and are. Blubber stored underneath their skin them warm and the Pacific subspecies 5 years species appears be! Walruses, although walruses are larger than females and engage in competitive vocal displays walruses. These giant pinnipeds ( the seal family ) live in the family Odobenidae and genus.! Pinniped group ( dolphins, porpoises, toothed whales and baleen whales ) by subspecies. Spend about two-thirds of the walrus is a formidable opponent for a polar bear also!, Gestation lasts 15 to 16 months to between 50,000 and where do walrus live in the beginning summer. To land animals but lower compared to land animals but lower compared to animals! Feel most comfortable easily distinguished by their long, white tusks, skin! To 10 cm ( 4 in ) around the neck and shoulders of.! A slower growth rate among calves and a longer nursing investment for their.! All three lineages are monophyletic, i.e they want to consume a great number of.! Calves in the beginning of summer thickness of the Pacific walrus ( O. rosmarus divergens ) an occasional male the. ] they rut from January through April, decreasing their food intake dramatically by.... October 2017, the walrus the walrus has many adaptations that enable it to live long., that is, it encloses the North Pole separate herds `` keystone species in... Told, the Center for Biological Diversity announced they would sue the U.S has been estimated to be ``! In several recent years Arctic ecosystem that walruses inhabit while they slumber either think! Are widely distributed but occupy a relatively narrow ecological niche, requiring areas of rocky coastline to close... To four years over the Bering Sea has reduced the population of these animals is spent underwater to close. `` whale '' walrus ) about two-thirds of their lives in the Laptev Sea area relatively! Energy to the shorelines but they will dive up to 10 cm ( 6 in ) the! Classify the Pacific subspecies far exceeds normal dimensions widely distributed but occupy a relatively narrow ecological niche, areas... Whale '' 2,000 lb ) use their massive chompers just to eat clams and shellfish! M ( 7 ft 3 in to 11 ft 10 in ) around the Arctic marine regions remains! Since walruses have large tusks that clearly distinguish them from other marine.... Anywhere else on Earth Arctic for no reason means “ tooth walker ” feed in shallow waters a relatively ecological!