Details
Odobenus rosmarus
The walrus is a huge Arctic marine mammal with tusks and a bristly muzzle. It gathers on ice and shorelines and feeds mainly on seafloor shellfish.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits cold coasts and shallow seas of the Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic, and North Pacific. Sea ice, islands, beaches, and shallow continental shelves are central to its life.
Length 220-360 cm; weight 400 kg-1.7 tonnes. Both sexes have long tusks and dense whiskers around the muzzle. Thick blubber and wrinkled skin insulate the body.
Diurnal and colonial, it rests in dense groups on ice or beaches. Tusks help with hauling out and with social contests.
A carnivore, it eats mostly bottom clams, snails, and crustaceans. Sensitive whiskers locate prey in sediment, and suction pulls soft parts from shells.
Breeding occurs around aquatic and ice habitats. Females bear a single calf after a long gestation, and calves stay close to mothers while learning to swim and feed.
It is listed as Least Concern, but sea-ice loss can alter resting and feeding patterns. Large shore haulouts may be vulnerable to disturbance and trampling events.
