Where does the walrus live on the world map. Atlantic walrus: where does it live and what does it eat? Pictured is a walrus with a cub
2. In Latin, the name of the walrus - Odobenus rosmarus can be translated as "a sea horse walking with the help of teeth." When a walrus uses its protruding tusks to pull its heavy body out of the water onto an ice floe, it looks like it is "walking" with its tusks, hence the name.
3. A 28,000-year-old walrus fossil has been discovered in San Francisco Bay, indicating that walruses were once distributed much further south in the Pacific Ocean during the last ice age.
4. There are two large subspecies of walruses: Pacific and Atlantic.
5. Despite its intimidating appearance and long protruding fangs, the walrus is more of a calm and non-aggressive mammal.
Walrus male
6. Males are larger and more massive than females. Their average weight is 1,700 kg, some individuals can reach two tons.
7. Among pinnipeds, walruses are second only to elephant seals.
8. The flippers of walruses are very flexible and resemble hands with 5 fingers.
9. Walruses are able to slow down their heart rate in order to withstand the low temperatures of icy waters.
10. Walruses have a wide head, small eyes and are easily recognizable by their two protruding tusks. Moreover, both males and females have tusks.
female walrus
11. Females are “smaller” than males by one third, their weight can reach up to 1,200 kg.
12. These huge animals feed mainly on small inhabitants of the deep sea - mollusks, small fish, crustaceans. In times of famine, they can also eat carrion. They have practically no teeth, so they “suck” their prey or grind it with their jaws in their mouths.
13. Walrus antennae are not hair at all, but whiskers - extremely sensitive tactile organs, somewhat reminiscent of a cat's whiskers. With the help of whiskers, walruses, first of all, look for their own food: mollusks, snails, sea worms and other marine trifles.
14. All walruses have large and long fangs, they are called tusks, these are modified upper teeth. The length of the fangs averages one meter in an adult.
15. The main function of the tusks is for defense and attack. In addition, walruses can crush ice with tusks and cling to ice floes or stones, helping themselves to get to the surface.
16. Walruses have only two natural enemies: killer whales and polar bears. These predators mainly prey on walrus cubs.
17. Within the walrus population, fights between males for leadership are a common thing. The tusks take a major role in the battles. Whoever has them stronger and longer, that will be the victory.
18. On land, walruses try to stay in large groups - from 10 to several thousand individuals.
19. Walruses love to be in the company of their own kind. However, there are those who want to be alone with themselves. Then they can take some handy “ice floe”, climb on it and swim like this in the ocean.
20. Walruses can spend up to half an hour underwater without breathing fresh air.
21. Females begin to give birth at the age of 7-8 years and usually give birth to only one cub every 3 years.
22. Pregnancy lasts 15 months, and after birth, the cub needs the help of the mother for another 2 years.
23. Young walruses have a dark brown color, however, with age, the skin color turns pale and can become almost pink in old age.
24. Walruses can sleep and swim at the same time. In the cervical region, they have air sacs, thanks to which they can combine these two processes.
25. A very thick layer of subcutaneous fat - 20 centimeters on the shoulders and withers of an adult walrus helps to survive in low temperatures.
26. Walruses require shallow waters of ice shelves and icy arctic and subarctic waters to live.
27. The largest population of walruses lives in the Pacific Ocean. They spend their summers in northern Alaska and their winters off the coast of Russia.
28. Another population of walruses, much smaller, is found in the Canadian Arctic.
29. In the wild, walruses live for about 35-40 years.
30. During sea bathing in icy water, the skin of a walrus brightens up to white, as the blood vessels in the skin layer shrink under the influence of low temperature.
31. Favorable habitat for walruses is shallow Arctic and subarctic waters. The population keeps in large groups, gathering in huge rookeries.
32. Settling down on a rookery, walruses "appoint" guards. When danger appears, the watchman with a loud guttural cry notifies the flock, which quickly leaves for the sea.
33. Most of the summer time, walruses spend on the shore, turning over in the sun from side to side.
34. After several hours of sunbathing, the walrus skin turns pink - this is the effect of the expansion of blood vessels.
35. In winter and early spring they live on huge ice floes.
36. A thick subcutaneous layer of fat protects walruses from hypothermia. The layer can reach 15 cm in thickness and make up to 25% of the total mass of the animal.
37. Climate change is expected to have a severe negative impact on walrus populations, especially those found in the Pacific Ocean. If the ice gets thinner and starts to disappear, walruses have less room to rest and have to swim more.
38. Researchers are working on projects to study the behavior of walruses in the face of climate change in the hope of learning more about their reactions and how they can be helped.
39. Another problem for the future of walruses is that they have a rather large gap between generations - 21 years.
40. The walrus is the absolute record holder for the length of the baculum among other animals. The baculum is a bone in the penis and in a walrus it can be as long as 60 centimeters.
41. The walrus is a very flexible animal - with its back flippers it can scratch its neck.
42. Walrus skin usually makes up about 20 percent of their total body mass. Under the skin is a layer of fat about 15 centimeters thick, which allows animals to keep warm in ice water.
44. Frightened or protective of their offspring, walruses can pierce or overturn a small boat with their tusks.
45. Walrus whiskers are not hair, but very sensitive tactile organs, somewhat reminiscent of a cat's whiskers. Animals use them to find food underwater.
46. These animals are quite well adapted to survive in extreme natural conditions, but they are quite clumsy and defenseless against people. Hunting and capturing the areas in which these animals lived, led to a decrease in their population.
47. Walrus hunting was banned in Canada in the 1930s and in the US in the 1940s. Although the global walrus population is still quite large, it is believed that it is constantly falling. According to some estimates, about 250 thousand walruses live on the planet.
48. Unfortunately, walruses have been an object of hunting for a long time. Skins, tusks, fat and other parts of the body of a mammal were used in the economy by the inhabitants of the Far North.
49. The melting of ice, pollution of the coastal zone and waters, and accidental spills of oil products have a catastrophic effect on the walrus population.
50. To date, walruses (Atlantic subspecies) are listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species.
An inhabitant of the harsh climate of the Arctic, the walrus has become a household name, because it spends most of its time in icy water getting food for itself. In order to survive in such difficult conditions, this animal must have huge energy resources.
And he has these resources: walrus marine animals having impressive dimensions - the length of an adult male can reach 5 meters, and weight up to 1.5 tons, while females are slightly smaller - up to 3 m long, and weigh 800 - 900 kg.
Another feature that catches your eye when looking at animal walrus photo besides his size, these are the huge protruding fangs that he possesses.
From a small head, relative to the body, two powerful tusks protrude downward, which can reach 80 cm, the animal needs them not only for defense, often disputes arise between males and clash, but also for getting food from the bottom. Also, with their help, the walrus can climb the ice floes.
The fat layer of this animal is about 15 cm, and the proportion of fat from the entire body weight reaches 25%. Walrus is a mammal and warm-blooded, so when he is in the water for a long time, the blood drains from the surface of the skin, and his body becomes light.
Then, when the walrus gets to the surface, the blood again rushes to the upper layer of the skin, and the body acquires its former brownish hue. Young individuals have a small woolen cover, which disappears as they grow older.
Walruses are animals of the Arctic - they live along the entire coast of the Arctic Ocean and on the islands adjacent to it. Their populations also live in Greenland, on the Svalbard archipelago, in the Red Sea, Iceland.
In the summer, large populations of walruses gather in Bristol Bay, but the most comfortable conditions for them are in the Botfort Sea in Alaska, but since walruses are migratory animals, they can also be found on the northern coast of eastern Siberia.
The nature and lifestyle of the walrus
walrus animal inherently not aggressive, they gather in groups of 20-30 individuals, and only during the breeding season do the largest males appear in the flock, which take on a dominant role.
On the rookeries, which can suit northern animals walruses, several thousand individuals gather. While on vacation, females take care of babies, males sort things out.
Those animals that are on the edges of the rookery act as sentinels, noticing any threat from afar, they notify their fellows of the approaching danger with a loud moat. Having heard the alarm, the whole herd rushes into the water, with a strong crush, the cubs may suffer, so the females cover them with their bodies.
One way to feed is animals walrus, seal and other inhabitants of the north. The bear resorts to hunting for walruses in rare cases, since in the water he will not be able to cope with it, and on land, weakened animals or cubs that died during the crush become his prey.
Pictured is a walrus colony
The bear will not resist an adult healthy individual, for him there is an easier prey among seals. In the water, the only opponents of walruses are, they are larger than walruses and have sharp teeth. Fleeing from killer whales, walruses have to get out onto land.
Walrus food
Since the walrus lives in coastal waters, it finds food there, it swims to a depth of 50 m, but is able to dive to a maximum of 80 m. Most of its diet consists of molluscs, crustaceans and worms.
With his huge fangs, he plows his beard at the bottom, thereby lifting up the shells of mollusks, then grinds them with flippers, separating the shells from the "filling", shell fragments are heavier and sink to the bottom.
In order to get enough, the walrus needs 50 kg of shellfish per day, he does not like fish, and resorts to it when there is no other food. The largest males can hunt seals, seals, narwhals - they are considered dangerous predators and can attack a person. After tasting the meat, the walrus will continue to look for it, the northern peoples call these - kelyuchams.
Reproduction and lifespan
reproduction walrus animals of the Red Book of Russia occurs infrequently, the age of puberty occurs by 6 years. Mating takes place from April to May, at which time males fight for females.
The female often gives birth to one cub, less often two, this can happen once every 4 years. Pregnancy lasts up to 360 days, the newborn weighs 30 kg and feeds on mother's milk for up to 1 year.
The female protects the offspring for up to 3 years, until their fangs begin to grow with which they themselves can get their own food. At the age of 2 years, she can already eat various foods, but she also continues to drink mother's milk. Life span animal arctic walrus is 30 years, of which 20 years they grow. The maximum age is known - 35 years.
The population of all walruses on the planet is only 250 thousand, and the Laptenev species listed in Krasnaya has only 20 thousand individuals. This situation became possible due to commercial hunting.
They were mainly hunted from their fangs, from which weapon handles and various crafts were made. Local peoples used skins and meat. At present, commercial hunting and commercial fishing are prohibited throughout the world, and hunting is allowed only to those old-fashioned people for whom it is a way of life.
Pictured is a walrus with a cub
These include the Chukchi, Eskimos, etc., they eat walrus meat, use fat for lighting, fangs for crafts as part of folklore. Global climate change also had an impact on the walrus population, due to warming, the thickness of the pack ice, where walruses arrange their rookeries, has decreased.
Pack ice is desalinated drift ice that has undergone a two-year freeze-thaw cycle. As a result of the melting of these ices, the distance between the "resting area" and the place of obtaining food has increased, so the cubs have to wait longer for their mothers, which subsequently reduces their reproductive function.
There is confirmation of this - the remains of a walrus were found on the coast near San Francisco, their age is almost 30 thousand years, which indicates that they were earlier distributed to the south.
Walrus - the great Arctic giant. When he is not resting on the ice, he is busy cutting a hole in the ice with his long fangs. Through them, he earns his livelihood - bivalve mollusks.
External structure
Large marine animal with very thick skin. The upper fangs are extremely developed, elongated and directed downwards. The very wide muzzle is covered with numerous thick, hard, flattened bristles-whiskers (vibrissae), which in a walrus on the upper lip can be from 400 to 700, they are arranged in 13-18 rows. There are no external ears, the eyes are small.
The skin is covered with short recumbent yellow-brown hair, but with age they become less, and in old walruses the skin is almost completely naked. The limbs are more adapted for movement on land than in true seals, and walruses can walk rather than crawl; soles are calloused. The tail is rudimentary.
walrus anatomy
The walrus uses its tusks to hold onto the edge of the hole
Skeleton
While some Pacific males can weigh up to 2,000 kg, most weigh between 800 and 1,700 kg. The Atlantic subspecies weighs 10-20% less. Atlantic walruses also tend to have relatively short tusks and a somewhat flatter muzzle. Some males of the Pacific subspecies were much larger than normal. Females weigh about a third less, Atlantic females average 560 kg, sometimes weighing only 400 kg, and the Pacific female averages 794 kg with a length of 2.2 to 3.6 m. The incisors of the upper jaw are small or completely reduced, in the lower jaw there are no cutters. The testicles are hidden under the skin-fat layer and are not located in the scrotum. Walruses usually have 2 pairs of mammary glands, sometimes more, and it is not uncommon to have 5 nipples (source not specified 281 days). So, out of 7 walruses of the Pacific and Atlantic subspecies, which are kept in the zoo of Udmurtia and in Harderwijk, the Netherlands (Dolfinarium Harderwijk), three have five nipples. Males have paired air sacs without closing valves, formed by a protrusion of the upper esophagus. The bags inflate under the skin of the neck, turning upwards, and allow the walrus to float vertically in the water while sleeping.
tusks
The most characteristic feature of the walrus is its long tusks. These are elongated fangs that are present in both sexes and can reach a length of 1 m and weigh up to 5.4 kg. The tusks are slightly longer and thicker in the males, who use them for fights. Males with the largest tusks usually dominate the social group. The tusks are also used to form and maintain holes in the ice and help walruses climb out of the water onto the ice.
Leather
The skin of walruses is very wrinkled and thick, up to 10 cm on the neck and shoulders of males. A layer of fat up to 15 cm. Young walruses have a dark brown skin color, and as they grow older, they lighten and turn pale. Old males become almost pink. Since the blood vessels in the skin constrict in cold water, walruses can turn almost white when swimming. As secondary sexual characteristics for males (under natural conditions), outgrowths on the skin of the neck, chest and shoulders are characteristic.
Subspecies
There are two or three subspecies of the walrus:
– Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens ILLIGER, 1811)
— Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus LINNAEUS, 1758)
Often a third subspecies is isolated from the Pacific subspecies
- Laptev walrus (Odobenus rosmarus laptevi CHAPSKII, 1940)
But his independence is questioned by many. The Laptev population is included in the Red Book of Russia as a separate subspecies. According to the IUCN, based on the results of recent mitochondrial DNA studies and the study of morphometric data, the Laptev walrus should be abandoned as an independent subspecies, recognizing it as the westernmost population of the Pacific walrus.
Distribution and populations
The latest estimate, based on the results of a global census conducted in 1990, is that the current population of the Pacific walrus is approximately 200,000 individuals. Most of the Pacific walrus population summers north of the Bering Strait, in the Chukchi Sea along the northern coast of eastern Siberia, near Wrangel Island, in the Beaufort Sea along the northern coast of Alaska, and also occurs in waters between these places. A small number of males are found during the summer in the Gulf of Anadyr, on the southern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula in Siberia, and also in the Bristol Bay. In spring and autumn, they concentrate from the western coast of Alaska to the Gulf of Anadyr. They winter in the southern parts of the Bering Sea, along the eastern coast of Siberia south to the northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and also along the southern coast of Alaska. A 28,000-year-old fossilized walrus fossil has been found near San Francisco Bay, showing the walrus' distribution as far as northern California during the last ice age.
The Atlantic walrus has been nearly extirpated by uncontrolled commercial fishing, and its population is much lower. It is currently difficult to accurately estimate the number, but it probably does not exceed 20 thousand individuals. This population is distributed from Arctic Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, as well as in the western region of the Russian Arctic. Based on the vast geographic distribution and movement data, eight subpopulations of the Atlantic walrus are believed to exist, five in the west and three in the east of Greenland. The Atlantic walrus formerly occupied the limits stretching south to Cape Cod, and were found in large numbers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In April 2006, the northwestern population of the Atlantic walrus was listed under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador) as near-extinct in Canada.
The isolated Laptev walrus population is localized throughout the year in the central and western regions of the Laptev Sea, in the easternmost region of the Kara Sea, and also in the westernmost part of the East Siberian Sea. The current population is estimated at 5-10 thousand individuals.
Behavior
The Laptev walrus are huge, clumsy on land animals that inhabit the Far North, live mainly near the coast and rarely undertake significant travel. Walruses are sociable and mostly found in herds; courageously protect each other: in general, walruses in the water are dangerous opponents, as they can overturn or smash a boat with their fangs. They rarely attack boats themselves. The herd always posts sentries. The sense of smell is well developed in walruses, and they smell a person at a considerable distance, so they try to approach them against the wind. Noticing the danger, with an hourly roar (which in walruses is a cross between the lowing of a cow and a rough bark) or jolts wakes up the others, the animals rush into the sea, almost simultaneously go under water and can stay there without air for up to 10 minutes. The food of the walrus consists mainly of lamella-gill mollusks and other benthic invertebrates, sometimes walruses eat fish. In some cases, walruses may attack seals or eat carrion. Keep in groups, females separately. Walruses are born once every three to four years. The mother feeds them with milk for up to a year, young walruses begin to eat other food from 6 months. They stay with their mother for up to two or three years. All members of the walrus herd guard the cubs and help them if necessary. If, for example, one of the cubs gets tired of swimming, then it doesn’t cost him anything to climb onto the back of one of the adults in order to calmly rest there. In general, mutual support and assistance are characteristic of walruses to a very large extent.
There is an opinion that the huge fangs serve mainly for digging the named mollusks at the bottom, as well as for protection. Also, based on observations of the nature of tusk wear and the erasure of vibrissae on the muzzle of walruses, it was suggested that walruses most likely dig the ground not with tusks, but with the upper edge of the snout, while tusks play a mainly social role, since they are used to establish hierarchical relations and when demonstrating a threat. In addition, they can be used to make and maintain holes in the ice and to “anchor” on the ice so as not to slip in strong winds or currents. Observations of walruses in zoos and similar establishments have shown that they often use their tusks in fights among themselves, especially during the mating season. Thanks to the fact that walruses use their tusks to help themselves climb ice floes or a rocky coast, they got their generic name: “odobenus” in Greek means “teeth-walker” or “teeth-walker”.
Walrus Enemies
Commercial harvesting of walruses is currently prohibited by law in all countries where it is common, despite this, fishing is allowed to a limited extent by indigenous, indigenous peoples, whose existence is closely connected with the extraction of this species. Among them are the Chukchi and Eskimos.
Walrus hunting takes place towards the end of summer. Traditionally, all parts of the harvested walrus are used. The meat is often canned and is an important source of protein during the long winter. The flippers are fermented and stored as a delicacy until spring. Fangs and bones have historically been used as tools as well as craft material. The melted fat is used for heating and lighting. The strong skin is used as rope and for building dwellings, as well as for sheathing boats. Waterproof capes are made from the intestines and stomach. While modern technology replaces many aspects of walrus use, walrus meat continues to be a necessary part of the indigenous diet, just as tusk crafts form an essential part of folklore for many communities.
Walrus hunting is regulated by conservation and resource organizations in Russia, the United States, Canada and Denmark, as well as representatives of hunting communities. According to estimates, from four to seven thousand Pacific walruses are caught in Alaska and in Russia, including a significant part (about 42%) of animals injured or lost during hunting. Several hundred individuals are taken annually near Greenland. The impact of this level of fishing on the population is difficult to assess as the population size has not yet been determined with certainty. At the same time, such important parameters as fertility and mortality are unknown.
The impact of global climate change on the walrus population is another factor to consider. In particular, the reduction in extent and thickness of pack ice is well documented. It is on this ice that walruses form rookeries during the reproductive period for childbirth and mating. As a hypothesis, it is assumed that the decrease in the thickness of the pack ice in the Bering Sea has led to a reduction in suitable resting places near optimal feeding areas. As a result, the duration of the mother's absence from the nursery increases, which ultimately leads to nutritional stress or a decrease in the reproductive contribution of females. However, until now, scientists have an insignificant amount of data, which makes it difficult to draw a reliable conclusion about the impact of climate change on the trend in population change. 
The status of the walrus is currently 'Data Insufficient' on the IUCN list. The Atlantic and Laptev subspecies living in Russia are listed in the Red Book of Russia and are classified as category 2 (decreasing in numbers) and category 3 (rare), respectively. The trade in handicrafts made from walrus tusks and bones is regulated by the international convention CITES, Annex 3. The legislation of the Russian Federation regulates the distribution of trophy products among the indigenous people absolutely free of charge and only for personal use. At present, commercial walrus hunting is prohibited in all countries.
Interesting Facts
Walrus baculum processed by the Aleuts. Length 56 cm.
– The walrus baculum (the bone contained in the penis) is about 50 cm long. Both in terms of the absolute length of the baculum and relative to the body length, the walrus confidently holds the record among mammals. This is where the curse “walrus horseradish” came from.
- Swimming in the winter in the hole is called winter swimming.
Ecology
Main:
Walruses are one of the largest pinniped marine mammals. Males reach up to 1,700 kg, females - up to 1,200 kg. Among pinnipeds, walruses are second only to elephant seals. Their flippers are very flexible and resemble hands with 5 fingers.
Walruses have a wide head, small eyes and are easily recognizable by their two protruding tusks. Moreover, both males and females have tusks.
Walruses use their tusks during fights to help defend themselves against predators and also to pull their powerful bodies out of the water onto the ice. Walrus tusks are actually long fangs, and each such tooth weighs up to 5 kg.
Walrus whiskers are not hair, but very sensitive tactile organs, somewhat reminiscent of a cat's whiskers. Animals use them to find food underwater. They feed on a wide variety of ocean creatures near the ice shelves: clams, worms, snails, soft crabs, crayfish, shrimp, sea cucumbers, tunicates, and slow moving fish. Some walruses may even prey on fur seals, small whales and seabirds, and sometimes also feed on carrion.
Walruses have only two natural enemies: killer whale and polar bear. These predators mainly prey on walrus cubs.
Walruses can often be seen resting on the coast or on ice floes. They can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes before they need to breathe fresh air. On land, walruses try to stay in large groups - from 10 to several thousand individuals.
Females begin to give birth at the age of 7-8 years and usually give birth to only one cub every 3 years. Pregnancy lasts 15 months, and after birth, the cub needs the help of the mother for another 2 years. In the wild, walruses live for about 30 years.
Habitats:
Walruses require shallow waters of ice shelves and icy arctic and subarctic waters to live. The largest population of walruses lives in the Pacific Ocean. They spend their summers in northern Alaska and their winters off the coast of Russia. Another walrus population, much smaller, is found in the Canadian Arctic.
Guard status: not enough data
Walrus hunting was banned in Canada in the 1930s and in the US in the 1940s. Although the global walrus population is still quite large, it is believed that it is constantly falling. According to some estimates, about 250 thousand walruses live on the planet.
Climate change is expected to have a severe negative impact on walrus populations, especially those found in the Pacific Ocean. If the ice gets thinner and starts to disappear, walruses have less room to rest and have to swim more.
Researchers are working on projects to study the behavior of walruses in the face of climate change in the hope of learning more about their reactions and how they can be helped. Another problem for the future of walruses is that they have a rather long gap between generations - 21 years.
In Latin, the name of the walrus is Odobenus rosmarus can be translated as "tooth-walking sea horse". When a walrus uses its protruding tusks to pull its heavy body out of the water onto an ice floe, it looks like it is "walking" with its tusks, hence the name.
Walrus tusks can reach 1 meter in length.
Walrus skin usually makes up about 20 percent of their total body mass. Under the skin is a layer of fat about 15 centimeters thick, which allows animals to keep warm in ice water.
A 28,000-year-old walrus fossil has been discovered in San Francisco Bay, indicating that walruses were once distributed much further south in the Pacific Ocean during the last ice age.
Walruses suck meat from shellfish shells - this is their favorite food. The walrus mouth has a unique shape that allows them to easily get their own food.
Walruses are able to slow down their heart rate in order to withstand the low temperatures of the icy waters of the Arctic.
Walruses are animals that easily endure cold. This name has become a household name, because that is what people who swim in the hole are called. Walruses are distributed preferentially in cold climatic regions. They belong to the family of pinnipeds, it is necessary to look for these representatives in the northern hemisphere. These are one of the largest animals of this type, occupying an honorable second place after elephant seals. In today's material, we will consider everything that affects walruses.
Description and habitation
- Almost all their lives, these animals are in the aquatic environment, they get food and are not afraid of icy water. As a result, the accumulated fat reserves subsequently warm the walruses, giving them energy. As for overall characteristics, adults can reach 5 meters in length. Their hull weight is approximately 1.5 tons. Individuals of the female gender are slightly smaller, they stretch up to 3 meters with a weight of 900 kg.
- If you look at these pinnipeds, the fangs of impressive size immediately catch your eye. They are located on the upper jaw and go down. In some individuals, the size of the tusks sometimes reaches 70 cm. They are required to protect against enemies that walruses have in the natural environment. Also, these fangs contribute to the convenient extraction of food from the bottom. Another aspect is that when a walrus climbs onto the ice, he does it with the help of tusks, clinging to them, like cats claws to a tree.
- Due to the fact that the animals are constantly in ice water, they need a decent layer of fat to keep warm. It is about 15 cm. On average, more than 23% of the total body volume is occupied by fat reserves. A walrus is a warm-blooded mammal. When the animal is in the water for a long period of time, its blood circulates more slowly, drains from the skin, so the animal seems light.
- After a successful exit to the surface of the ice floe, everything returns to its previous course. The blood circulates intensively, the individual acquires its former gray-brownish tone. Juveniles have a short coat. With the course of the life cycle, it disappears, the skin becomes smoothed. Considering the habitat, it should be said that to a greater extent these animals are common in the Arctic.
- There are some populations in Iceland, Greenland, the Red Sea, Svalbard. In the summer, individuals accumulate in the Bristol Bay area, as well as in Alaska and in the Botfort Sea. Individuals of the presented breed group are ranked among those animals that are constantly migrating. Therefore, you can find them even in Siberia (eastern part).
Lifestyle
- According to their characteristics, these individuals do not belong to aggressive creatures. Accommodation is carried out colonially, they huddle in groups of 25 individuals on average. However, when the mating season begins, there may be several thousand animals in one place. Males are aggressive during this time as they try to win over females and engage in skirmishes. When walruses get ashore, females take on the role of caring mothers, and males compete and measure tusks.
- Representatives of the genus, located on different sides of the flock, act as watchmen. They detect an approaching threat and give signals so that their brethren can provide support. When an alarm signal is heard, the flock immediately goes to the water. A crush can form, so young animals often suffer. Females boldly close their cubs from large-sized individuals.
- The main enemy of these animals is the polar bear. He conducts a full-scale hunt for a walrus, and subsequently feasts on it. Bears can not always overcome walruses, so they often attack in packs. As for the land, in this environment the bears are stronger, but reinforcements usually arrive with the walruses. Bears, not being able to eat large pinnipeds, attack babies and weakened animals.
- In the water area, among the opponents of walruses, one can count the killer whale. She is famous for her sharp teeth and strong grip. Overall features also exceed those of walruses, therefore, in an attempt to escape, they swim out and get ashore.
- It was already mentioned earlier that walruses are classified as schooling mammals. On rookeries, their numbers sometimes reach several thousand. Each individual has a role to play. The dominant position is assigned to the largest male, he runs everything. If the males do not start disputes because of the females, then they live quite peacefully.
- It should also be mentioned that the presented animals make excellent swimmers. Some of them are so forgetful of time when looking for food that they are in icy water for days on end.
Nutrition
- Discussed representatives of the family are mostly distributed near the coastline. However, you can meet individuals a little further. They always try to look for food near the main habitat. Sometimes they dive to a depth of 75 meters to get a meal from the bottom for themselves and their offspring. Most of the basic food is molluscs, worms and crustaceans of all kinds.
- Due to the presence of tusks of impressive size, the beast easily plows the bottom, taking out mollusks. Then he uses flippers to remove the shell and leave only the body, which will be used later. The walrus sends fragments to the bottom. To saturate one large individual, you need to use about 50 kg. shellfish per day. These individuals practically do not lean on fish. They can eat it if there is nothing else to eat.
- If an adult large-sized male obtains food for himself, he will conduct his hunt. It will start attacking seals, narwhals. They are predators that are dangerous to humans. When a walrus tastes meat, he will not refuse it anymore. Will constantly find such food. The northern people call such animals kelyuchs.
walrus enemies
- Often, killer whales are the natural enemies of the presented individuals. They can overtake walruses in the water. As for land, polar bears often hunt animals. Separately, it is worth mentioning the person. In this case, natural selection does not play any role. People constantly exterminate walruses.
- It is the indigenous peoples of the North who often hunt them. People only kill them for food. That is, there is no mass extermination. Northern people do not kill animals for no reason or for fun. The situation changed dramatically when the white man began the barbaric extermination of individuals.
- Poachers began to massively exterminate walruses for their tusks. This was several decades ago. In the present time, the animal population has declined sharply. Now the giants of the Arctic are protected and listed in the Red Book. The problem is that animals are on the verge of extinction.
reproduction
- Unfortunately, reproduction of individuals is extremely rare. The problem is that walruses reach sexual maturity only at the age of 6 years. The mating season for animals falls in the spring. At such a time, a real struggle for females flares up between males.
- Remarkably, the couple has only 1 baby at a time, in rare cases 2. In addition, the female can bring offspring only 1 time in 4 years. Pregnancy lasts a whole year. After that, a cub weighing about 30 kg is born. For the next year, he feeds exclusively on mother's milk.
- Parents continue to protect offspring until 3 years of age. Only at this time canines begin to grow in them. The cubs begin to get their own food. At the age of 2 years, the baby's diet begins to be varied. He already eats everything that his parents offer him. Also, the cub does not stop drinking mother's milk.
- The life expectancy of such individuals is about 30 years. And 20 of which they continue to grow. Maximum animals live up to 35 years. It is interesting that on the whole planet the walrus population has only 250 thousand individuals. There is another unique species - Laptenevsky.
- It is listed in the Red Book, and in total there are about 20 thousand individuals left on earth. This situation happened because of commercial hunting for animals. Poachers exterminated them mainly because of their fangs. Various crafts and handles for weapons were often made from such material.
- As for the local people, people ate walrus meat and used their skins. In the modern world, industrial hunting is prohibited all over the world. Walruses are allowed to be hunted only by local residents, for whom it is simply necessary.
- Northern peoples eat the meat of individuals, in addition, they use animal fat for lighting. Fangs are necessary for crafts of folklore. In addition, climate change also affected the number of walruses. Due to global warming, the population of individuals has declined.
- The ice began to melt and the walruses had less room for a rookery. Because of this, getting food became difficult. The cubs are forced to be alone in the recreation area for a long time until the mother brings the prey. Taken together, all this had a negative impact on the reproductive function of walruses.
Population status
- In the 18th and 19th centuries, commercial fishing for the Atlantic walrus flourished. It is for this reason that animals have almost completely disappeared. There are very few individuals left. In the modern world, hunting them is prohibited worldwide. The only exceptions are northern indigenous peoples.
- Only such people can get several animals for themselves at a certain time. At the same time, the sale of meat, fat and other parts of the animal's body is prohibited. Walruses are allowed to hunt exclusively for their own needs. In European cuisine, the cooked tongue of the animal is considered a delicacy.
- Northern peoples eat meat of individuals all winter. In addition, local residents conserve animal flippers and store them until spring. As for the bones and tusks, they are used to create various tools and jewelry. The thick hide is suitable for trimming boats and houses.
- In the modern world, there are already quite cheap and affordable building materials, so it is no longer necessary to exterminate walruses in large numbers. However, not all nations let new technologies into their world. Someone prefers to live the same way as 100 years ago.
Walruses are considered the oldest animals on the planet, unfortunately, people became the reason for their mass extermination. However, it is no secret to anyone that it is a person who is the cause of many troubles and disasters. Currently, walruses are listed in the Red Book and are under protection.
Video: walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
