Walrus is cold-blooded. Walrus - the wonderful world of animals. Description and structure
The sea dweller has become a symbol of the harsh Arctic. The giant walrus is hard to miss, easy to identify by its formidable fangs. The name of the animal in literal translation from Greek is “hanging on the teeth”. In the northern hemisphere, this mammal is the largest representative of pinnipeds.
Description and features
The sea animal is impressive in size. Most walruses are 3.5 meters long, but there are individuals that reach 5 meters. Females are inferior - 2.7-3.7 m. The mass of giants is 1.5-2 tons. The walrus is a third lighter than the male. In weight, walruses compete with sea lions living in Antarctica.
Massive carcasses of animals are covered with wrinkled skin with brown hairs. Gradually they disappear, the old individuals are completely “naked”. The thickness of the skin coating is 4-8 cm, the fat layer under it is up to 15 cm. The tail has rudimentary forms.
The brown color of young individuals gradually brightens, towards old age a pink tint appears. white walrus- this is not a separate subspecies, but a temporary state of the animal, when when bathing in ice water, the blood vessels under the skin narrow, which gives the maximum lightening of the integument.
Despite their large mass, walruses are plastic. Callused flippers are flexible. The hind limbs are mobile, so the animal moves confidently. Walruses can walk, unlike crawling seals.
Noteworthy are the developed fangs of animals directed downwards. The weight of each is almost 3-4 kg, in length 60-80 cm. walrus tusk plays a social role - the owners of the largest pair dominate the group. Practical application is manifested in battles with enemies and rivals. Relying on fangs helps animals to get to the surface from the hole, to form holes in the ice floes.
The muzzle of the walrus is covered with whiskers. There are up to 700 bristles on the upper lip only. The high sensitivity of the hair helps walruses find underwater mollusks.
The eyes of animals are not distinguished by sharp vision. A good sense of smell helps to navigate well in the water. There are no auricles. Special throat bags allow the giant to turn into a float to hold it on the surface of the reservoir. Filled with air, they inflate like balls and hold the animal during sleep. The throat sacs are partly involved in the formation of sounds.
The life of walruses, resistant to the harsh conditions of the Arctic, is associated with minor migrations. With the onset of winter, they move from northern latitudes to the southern coast of Alaska, to the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Populations of animals for the northern expanses are negligible. Doubt whether it was walrus in the red book or not not even worth it. The death rate from poaching remains high. Commercial production of animals for skins, meat, fat, fangs has long been banned.
Limited fishing is allowed exclusively to indigenous peoples who live off the prey of this species. In the vast Arctic expanses, in addition to humans, the giant mammal has natural enemies - polar bears, killer whales.
The victims of polar bears are weakened individuals or cubs of walruses that are on land without supervision. In the sea element, it will be more difficult for a bear to cope with them. Even a hungry beast will not dare to attack a strong walrus, so as not to become a victim in a fight.
Bears often use cunning to take down the mighty walrus. So, they sometimes sow panic in order to identify weak and crippled individuals for easy profit. If the animals calmly leave the rookery, then the bears will be left without tasty prey. When walruses rush towards a white predator, he can retire with discontent, knowing that wounds from sea giants are fatal.
An even more sophisticated way was observed by the Eskimos. The bear's ingenuity was manifested in the fact that he found a sleeping walrus and threw a block of ice on his head. Further, it was not difficult for the predator to cope with the prey.
On the Internet you can find walrus photo, peacefully lying near a polar bear. Well-fed animals do not show aggression, they prefer to watch strong rivals until the right moment.
Killer whales pose a serious threat to walruses, surpassing them in mass and size. Strong jaws, sharp teeth are stronger than powerful fangs. Flocks of killer whales crash into the stream of walruses to break it apart, after which they attack the surrounded animals in an organized manner. Walrus is saved only by flight to land.
Kinds
Among walruses, two main subspecies are distinguished - Pacific and Atlantic. The isolation of the Laptev walrus is controversial. Experts, based on DNA studies, consider it a western population of the Pacific subspecies.
Pacific representatives live in the northern region of the Far East. Large walruses, weighing up to 2 tons, are found in the Chukchi, Bering Seas, on the coast of Kamchatka, Alaska. The population has approximately 200 thousand individuals.
Atlantic walruses are found in the north of Canada, in the west of the Russian Arctic, in Greenland. Representatives of the subspecies in uncontrolled fishing were almost completely exterminated. walrus atlantic small in size and number. The population includes no more than 20 thousand individuals. The subspecies subject to reduction is in the Red Book.
The number of Laptev walruses is only 5 thousand individuals. The name was given by being in the Laptev Sea. The size of the animals is intermediate - less than the Pacific and more than the Atlantic subspecies.
Lifestyle and habitat
The life of sea animals is fundamentally connected with the northern coasts of Europe, North America, Asia, and the Arctic islands. They encircle the North Pole in a ring, keep close to the coast, avoiding open water spaces and multi-year ice.
walrus dwells in shallow areas - a comfortable environment for pinnipeds. The range of walruses is currently broken into separate sections due to a decrease in numbers. Seasonal migrations to the south are insignificant and short.
Walrus is an animal herd. Mammals form small colonies of 10-20 individuals from heterosexual representatives. There is no rigid hierarchy in the groups, all members of the herd behave evenly. Experienced males calmly treat young animals without showing aggression.
Large rookeries consist of groups of animals of several hundred, sometimes thousands of walruses. Animals are close to each other. Crowding is formed consciously, and not due to lack of space. Live weight moves due to the movement of animals to the water and back. Individuals behave, in general, peacefully, although individual skirmishes also occur.
The rest of the rookery is guarded by replaceable sentinels. Although sight fails animals, the sense of smell will always give a signal of the approach of a person. They announce the threat by roaring, pushing each other.
The flight of huge carcasses to the water sometimes ends in the death of babies among fat bodies. The cubs who managed to climb onto the backs of their mothers are saved. Sometimes the panic is stronger than the organization of the herd. The crippled victims are easy prey for polar bears. Walruses hide under water, where they can stay without air for up to 10 minutes, but they are ready to swim all day.
Animals alternate being in the sea with staying on land, where they rest lying near the water's edge. They climb flat ice floes, relying on powerful tusks. They can sleep anywhere, being unsinkable due to a thick layer of fat. Animals move and hunt in the whole herd. Sociability is manifested in support, assistance to other individuals.
Nutrition
The main food of walruses is on the seabed - these are lamellar-gill mollusks. Sensitive vibrissae on the muzzle of the animal help to catch their location. With fangs, flippers, muzzle, the animal rips up the muddy bottom, loosens the soil, raising clouds of shells.
With calloused flippers, he deftly rubs them so that the shell cracks and settles to the bottom. The bodies of mollusks are swallowed by the animal along with water. Saturation comes when the volume of food is at least 50 kg. Soil loosening has a positive effect on the bottom ecosystem - it creates favorable conditions for the development of organisms.
Walruses do not make deep dives in search of food, they feed in coastal areas, no deeper than 80 meters. A simple diet allows young animals to quickly gain weight, a layer of fat that protects animals from hypothermia improves buoyancy.
sea walrus feeds on bottom worms, crustaceans, sea cucumbers, occasionally fish, carrion when the main food is not enough. Hungry animals in some cases attack seals, seals, narwhals, although this is not a typical feeding behavior. Cannibalism is not characteristic of animals. Between themselves, walruses maintain friendly relations, stand up for their relatives, and females are ready to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their cubs. If a walrus dies, other females take care of their offspring.
Reproduction and lifespan
Puberty comes earlier to females - they are ready to mate at 4-6 years. Males mature longer, begin to show interest in walruses at the age of seven, but start breeding later - by the age of 15. The appearance of offspring in the life of a female occurs at intervals of 3-4 years. The mating season opens in April - early May. Sexually mature animals change behavior, demonstrating interest in individuals of the opposite sex.
Peaceful males become aggressive in the struggle for the attention of females. There are fights between rivals, but without tragic outcomes. Animals can inflict wounds on each other with their fangs. Thick skin up to 3-4 cm, a layer of fat protect the internal organs, so the fights of males do without serious consequences. Walruses compete not only in strength, but also in vocal abilities, calling on females to mate with the most vociferous of them. Marriages are made in the water element.
The duration of gestation lasts 330-370 days, or approximately 16 weeks. Pregnant females are not pursued by other males, they move safely around the rookery. In due time, one calf is born, in rare cases twins are born. The weight of the baby is approximately 60 kg, the length of the newborn is 1 meter. The cub is able to swim from the moment of birth, therefore, in case of danger, it leaves an ice floe, plunges into the water with its mother.
Feeding a baby with breast milk lasts a record long time - up to 2 years, although complementary foods with regular food begin at the age of six months. Babies begin to feed on their own only after strengthening the tusks. By the age of three, they become independent. Caring for the calf does not allow females to re-acquire another calf for some time. Only 5% of walruses become pregnant the next year if they lose offspring.
The whole herd takes care of young walruses. Females selflessly cover offspring with their bodies, if danger threatens, they are ready to die protecting the babies. walrus cub for protection and rest, it can climb onto the back of any adult, feel safe.
In the wild, the life of a walrus lasts about 30-35 years. For 20 years of life, the walrus grows. There are long-lived individuals at 40 years old. The harsh conditions of Arctic living, the formidable appearance of the predator did not make the animal ferocious. The study of walruses reflects the surprisingly harmonious and integral world of these animals.
The walrus is a pinniped, mammalian animal, distributed mostly in the far north. Distributed along the coast of the Bering and Chukchi Seas, east to the coasts of Alaska and Canada.
It cannot be confused with other pinnipeds, as the walrus has a distinctive feature - large tusks.
Tusks, in fact, these are elongated fangs, are present in both females and males. They are located on the upper jaw vertically down. Their length reaches 1 meter, weight can exceed 5 kg.
Males use tusks as weapons in combat with rivals during the mating season. Also, walruses use tusks as additional strength when trying to get out of the water onto an ice floe, or climb up a rock.
There are three subspecies: Pacific, Atlantic and Laptev walruses.
These animals have very thick, embossed skin due to the formation of fatty folds. The body is not completely covered with wool and hairs, and in older individuals the body is almost smooth.
Skin color from light to dark brown, sometimes with a reddish tint. When bathing, the skin of walruses brightens and may even turn white, because the water is very cold and the blood vessels constrict.
The body shape of the walrus is cone-shaped, with a large massive chest and neck, but at the same time a small and wide head, with a slightly flattened nose and wide-spaced small eyes. The look of the walrus is sad, but beautiful.
The body tapers towards the tail and ends with a small rudimentary tail.
The limbs of the walrus are flippers that are adapted not only to water, but also to land. Walruses successfully move on land - they walk on flippers, and do not crawl like other pinnipeds.
Walruses are very large animals. The average body weight is about a ton, but this is not the limit. Often there are individuals with a weight of about 1500 - 1800 kg.
Walruses feed on fish, molluscs and other invertebrates. There are times when walruses prey on seals or birds sitting on the water.
In search of food, they dive under water, where they can stay up to 10 minutes, or try to find food on the surface. The daily requirement for one walrus reaches 100 kg of feed.
Walruses are friendly to each other and prefer to stay in groups, but females stay apart. The walrus cub stays next to its mother until the age of three. It feeds on mother's milk for up to a year, but already at the age of six months they begin to try other foods.
Upon reaching the age of three, it begins to independently produce food.
Walrus milk is very nutritious, the fat content is almost 50%, the protein is 10-13%, the milk is sweet, since the sugar content in it is about 0.2%.
Females give birth to offspring about once every three to four years, one cub is born.
Walruses love to arrange rookeries on ice floes or shores. A funny picture when several dozen huge animals sprawled along the shore. But sometimes, in case of any danger, walruses fussily begin to dive into the water, not noticing small cubs under them, which often leads to the death of walrus cubs.
The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a marine mammal, the only extant species belonging to the walrus family (Odobenidae) and the group Pinnipedia (Pinnipedia). Adult walruses are easily recognizable by their large and prominent tusks, and in size among pinnipeds, such an animal is second only to elephant seals.
Description of the Atlantic walrus
Large marine animal has very thick skin. The upper canines of walruses are extremely developed, elongated and directed downwards. A rather wide muzzle is seated with thick and hard, numerous, flattened whiskers (vibrissae). The number of such mustaches on the upper lip is often 300-700 pieces. The outer ears are completely absent, and the eyes are small in size.
Appearance
The length of the fangs of a walrus sometimes reaches half a meter. Such tusks have a practical purpose, they are able to easily cut through the ice, they allow you to protect the territory and your fellow tribesmen from many enemies. Among other things, with the help of their fangs, walruses can easily penetrate the body of even large ones. The skin of an adult walrus is very wrinkled and quite thick, with a characteristic fifteen-centimeter layer of fat. The skin of the Atlantic walrus is covered with short and adjoining brown or yellowish-brown hairs, the number of which decreases markedly with age.
The oldest representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies have almost completely naked and rather fair skin. The limbs of the animal are very well adapted for movement on land and have callused soles, so walruses are able to walk instead of crawling. The tail part of the pinniped rudimentary type.
Lifestyle, behavior
Representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies prefer to unite in herds of different sizes. Pinnipeds living collectively try to actively help each other, and also protect their weakest and youngest relatives from the attack of natural enemies. When most of the animals in such a herd are simply resting or sleeping, the safety of all is ensured by the so-called sentinel guards. Only in the event of any danger approaching, these watchmen deafen the entire area with a loud roar.
It is interesting! According to scientists, in the course of numerous observations, it was possible to prove that, having excellent hearing, the female is able to hear the call of her cub even at a distance of two kilometers.
The seeming unsuitability and slowness of walruses is compensated by excellent hearing, excellent sense of smell, and well-developed eyesight. Representatives of pinnipeds can swim remarkably and are quite friendly, but if necessary, they are quite capable of drowning a fishing boat.
How long do Atlantic walruses live
On average, representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies live no more than 40-45 years, and sometimes even a little longer. Such an animal matures rather slowly. Walruses can be fully considered fully grown, sexually mature and ready to breed only eight years after birth.
sexual dimorphism
Males of the Atlantic walrus have a body length of three to four meters with an average weight of two tons. Representatives of the female subspecies grow in length up to 2.5-2.6 meters, and the average body weight of the female does not exceed, as a rule, one ton.
Range, habitats
At present, it is not easy to estimate the total number of representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies as accurately as possible, but, most likely, it does not currently exceed twenty thousand individuals. This rare population has spread from Arctic Canada, Spitsbergen, Greenland, as well as in the western region of the Russian Arctic.
It is on the basis of a significant geographical distribution and scientific data on all movements that it was possible to assume the presence of only eight subpopulations of the animal, five of which are located in the west and three in the eastern part of the territory of Greenland. Sometimes such a pinniped animal enters the waters of the White Sea.
It is interesting! In the annual regime, walruses are able to migrate along with large ice, so they move to drifting ice floes, swim on them to the right place, after which they get out on land, where they arrange their rookery.
Previously, representatives of the subspecies Atlantic walrus occupied limits extending southward to the territory of Cape Cod. In a fairly large number, the pinniped animal was found in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the spring of 2006, the northwestern Atlantic walrus population was listed under the Canadian Species Threatened Species Act.
Atlantic walrus diet
The feeding process for representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies is almost constant. The basis of their diet is bottom molluscs, which are very easily caught by pinnipeds. Walruses, with the help of their long and rather powerful tusks, stir up the muddy bottom of the reservoir, which results in filling the water with hundreds of small-sized shells.
The collected shells are grabbed by the walrus in flippers, after which, with the help of very powerful movements, they are rubbed. The fragments of shells remaining as a result fall to the bottom, while the mollusks themselves remain floating on the water surface. They are very actively eaten by walruses. Various crustaceans and worms are also used for food purposes.
It is interesting! An abundant diet is necessary for walruses to support the vital activity of the body, as well as to build up a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat, which is important for protection from hypothermia and swimming.
Fish are not valued by pinnipeds, therefore such food is eaten quite rarely, only during a period of too serious problems associated with food. Atlantic walruses do not disdain thick-skinned giants and carrion at all. Scientists have recorded cases of attacks by pinnipeds of large animals on and.
Reproduction and offspring
Atlantic walruses reach full sexual maturity only at the age of five or six years, and the active mating season for such pinnipeds falls on April and May.
It is during such a period that males, previously distinguished by a very peaceful disposition, become quite aggressive, therefore they often fight with each other for females, using large and well-developed fangs-tusks for this purpose. Of course, sexually mature females choose only the strongest and most active males as sexual partners.
The average period of pregnancy of a walrus lasts no more than 340-370 days, after which only one, but rather large cub, is born. In extremely rare cases, twins are born. The body length of a newborn Atlantic walrus is about one meter with an average weight of 28-30 kg. From the very first days of their lives, babies learn to swim. During the first year, walruses feed exclusively on mother's milk, and only after that they acquire the ability to eat food that is typical for adult walruses.
Absolutely all walruses have a very well developed maternal instinct, so they are able to selflessly protect their cubs in case of any danger. According to scientists, in general, female Atlantic walruses are very gentle and caring mothers. Until about the age of three years, when tusks appear in young walruses, the young are almost always near their parent. Only at the age of three, I already have sufficiently grown fangs, representatives of the Atlantic walrus subspecies begin adulthood.
The walrus is the largest representative of the pinnipeds in the Northern Hemisphere, world championship in size, it is second only to elephant seals from the Southern Hemisphere. Systematically, the walrus is an intermediate link between the eared seals (fur seals and sea lions) and true seals and is the only species in the walrus family.
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus).
The size of walruses is amazing: males reach 3-4.5 m in length, females 2.6-3.6 m, weight of males is 1.5-1.8 tons, females are much smaller, their weight is “only” 700-800 kg . Outwardly, the walrus looks more like eared seals. His incredibly massive body has an unexpected plasticity and mobility for such a giant, which is characteristic of fur seals and lions. The hind legs of walruses are bent at the heel joint, therefore they can bend under the body like in eared seals and take part in locomotion. At the same time, walruses do not have auricles, which brings them closer to real seals. Despite the resemblance to other pinnipeds, the walrus has quite peculiar structural features that make this animal unique. The main difference is a pair of long fangs sticking out of the upper jaw in a downward direction. In females, their length reaches 30-40 cm, in males 40-50 cm, occasionally 80 cm. The pharynx of walruses has a sac-like extension, which acts as a float, reducing the overall body density. Another feature is very thick and rough skin, with negligible rudiments of wool. Only in walrus cubs can one clearly see a reddish coat, while in adults it is so rare that they seem naked. The only "real" hair on the body of a walrus is the sensitive vibrissae on the muzzle, which are as thick as a wire. The color of walruses is brown, in old individuals pinkish spots are often noticeable - scars and scratches from worn skin, walruses are slightly darker than their parents. Sexual dimorphism (the difference between males and females) is reduced only to a difference in size.
Walrus whiskers reach 10-12 cm in length, and their thickness is 1.5-2 mm!
The range of walruses is circumpolar, that is, it covers the North Pole in a ring. Unlike seals, walruses avoid vast expanses of water and endless pack (perennial) ice, so they are found only on the coasts of Europe, Asia, North America and the Arctic islands. Due to the decrease in the number of walruses, the range of walruses has now been torn into several unrelated sections. The largest number of these animals lives on the Chukchi Peninsula, the shores of the Bering Strait and the Labrador Peninsula, there are few walruses in the western and central parts of the coast of Eurasia. The seasonal migrations of walruses are very short: in winter they move south, but only for a few hundred kilometers, which is not much for such animals.
Walruses move on their paws, not on their belly like real seals.
Walruses lead a herd life. They live in groups of 10-20 individuals, but can form rookeries up to 100-3000 individuals (more often such large groups are created by females). Unlike other pinnipeds, walruses on rookeries try to lie as close to each other as possible, and they do this not from lack of space, but quite consciously. Even if there is a free area, the herd of walruses does not disperse along the coastline, but keeps crowded, they dive into the water just as amicably. In relation to their relatives, walruses are more peaceful than other seals. Even during the mating season, they do not have fatal fights, adults do not crush the young, as is the case with other species. There is no hierarchy in the herd, all members of the herd are more or less equal in their rights.
Migratory herd of Pacific walruses.
The voice of the walrus is a roar, but in general these animals are more silent than the ever-noisy sea lions and fur seals, on whose rookeries a hubbub is heard. On the ground or on an ice floe, walruses rest lying down, they do not move far from the water's edge, which is probably due to the massiveness of their bodies, which makes it difficult to move on land. For the same reason, walruses cannot even climb low, steep rocks, climbing onto a flat ice floe, the walrus often leans on tusks. The tusks also serve the walrus in emergency situations, when the hole is covered with ice, then the walruses break through the ice crust to get to the surface. In search of food, walruses all go at the same time and generally move in the water with the whole herd. They swim well, can spend the whole day in the water. Walruses can sleep not only on land, but also in water - their bodies, containing 150-250 kg of fat, are unsinkable.
For breathing, walruses use holes in the ice, through which they get to the surface.
These animals feed on mollusks, invertebrates and crustaceans, occasionally they can fish. Even the remains of birds and seals were found in the stomachs of walruses, but this is obviously an accidental carrion that hungry animals could pick up. In search of food, walruses dive to a depth of 30-40 m and can remain under water for a long time. In search of food, a highly developed sense of smell, touch with vibrissae and, of course, tusks play a huge role. With tusks, the walrus furrows the bottom of the sea, digging out mollusks and other living creatures hidden in the thickness of the sand. In captivity, walruses almost always lose their tusks, as keeping them in cement-bottomed pools leads to irreversible damage to their teeth. On simple food, walruses quickly fatten and well-fed specimens have a 5-10 cm layer of fat, which not only increases buoyancy, but also protects against hypothermia.
The walrus is looking for food at the bottom of the sea. Walruses sometimes damage and lose their tusks, in captivity this happens to almost all animals.
The breeding season for walruses begins in April-May. Males fight among themselves and inflict wounds on each other with fangs, but there are no fatal outcomes. This is connected both with the generally low aggressiveness of males, and with a thick layer of fat and skin (its thickness reaches 3-4 cm), which protects the internal organs. Walruses do not create harems, and females move freely within the rookery. Pregnancy lasts 330-370 days and childbirth occurs in the next mating season. The female always gives birth to one cub, about 1 m long and weighing 60 kg. From the first days of life, the cub knows how to swim and, in case of danger, leaves the ice floe with its mother. If for some reason the cub cannot do this, the mother stays next to him, even if she is in mortal danger. The mother feeds the cub with milk for a record long time - 2 years! Only when the walrus has long tusks does it begin feeding on its own. For this reason, most females give birth only once every 3-4 years, only 5% give birth in a year and another 5% annually (those whose cubs died). Walruses grow slowly and reach sexual maturity only by 6 years. Walruses live in nature and in captivity up to 40 years.
A female walrus with a cub.
In the natural environment, walruses have almost no enemies; only the polar bear encroaches on adult animals because of their large size. But even this predator is not easy to cope with them. The bear tries to track down the herd of walruses and sneak up unnoticed to the breathing hole or the edge of the ice floe. At the moment when the walrus climbs ashore, the bear can kill him with a deft blow of his paw. If a bear tries to attack a walrus in the water and even on a rookery, a favorable outcome of the fight is not guaranteed for the predator. The walrus heroically resists to the last, striking with tusks, so the polar bear can not only be left without dinner, but also get seriously injured. Only walruses are defenseless against bears, which often die in the first years of life.
The walrus plays a scene with his trainer.
However, the large size of walruses does not scare away, but attracts another enemy - humans. The inhabitants of the northern coasts have long hunted walruses for fat and meat, because one carcass of an animal could feed a whole family for several months. Walrus skin was used for upholstery of boats, tusks were used for handicrafts, knife handles. Due to the small number of northern peoples, their fishing did not cause damage to walruses until these animals began to be harvested on an industrial scale. Since walruses are very infertile, mass hunting undermined their numbers and now it is allowed only under special licenses for the indigenous people of the North. Walruses are very smart and friendly animals. In captivity, they are perfectly tamed, learn many commands, willingly perform even such complex tricks as playing the pipe, but they are found mainly in aquariums in northern countries, since it is difficult for them to provide low water temperatures in the south.
The walrus is a unique animal of the Arctic. It belongs to the group of pinnipeds, the walrus family. The family has one genus and one species. The view is divided into two subspecies: pacific walrus and Atlantic. The habitat of the animal is extensive and covers almost most of the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. Walrus rookeries can be found on the western and eastern shores of Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland. Pinniped giants live on Novaya Zemlya and in the Kara Sea.
A large concentration of walruses is observed in the area of the Bering Strait and in the Chukchi Sea. Yellowish-brown bodies can be seen in the coastal zones of Wrangel Island and along the cold northern coast of Eastern Siberia. The northern coast of Alaska and the Beaufort Sea are also home to them. They cluster in the Gulf of Anadyr and Norton Bay. They did not bypass their attention and the Bristol Bay of the Bering Sea, where they gather in the fertile summer months.
It should be noted right away that walruses do not sit still all year round. In summer they reach 79°N. sh, in winter they move south. They settle in the southern parts of the Bering Sea, in the north of the Kamchatka Peninsula, settle down on the southern coast of Alaska. In spring and autumn, they prefer to spend time in the Gulf of Anadyr and off the western coast of Alaska. This applies to the Pacific walruses, which are an order of magnitude larger than the Atlantic ones. The latter, however, number no more than 20 thousand, since man has tried hard to reduce the number of these unique animals to an insignificant figure, which in no way corresponds to the vast expanses of the Arctic.
stand apart walruses of the Laptev population. They have chosen a strictly defined zone for themselves. These are the central and western regions of the Laptev Sea, Kotelny Island, Bolshoi Lyakhovsky Island, and the Lena River Delta. They also live in the eastern regions of the Kara Sea, are found on the island of New Siberia and in the western regions of the East Siberian Sea. Their number fluctuates within 10 thousand, which of course is very small for this vast area.
Walrus — very large animal. The body length of some individuals can reach 5 meters, and the mass can reach up to one and a half tons. The average length of the male is 3.5 meters, the weight varies within a ton. The females are smaller. Their usual length is usually 2.8-2.9 meters, weight is about 700-800 kg. All adult walruses have fangs protruding from their mouths. Their length reaches 60-80 cm, and each weighs at least 3 kg.
This pinniped has a very broad muzzle. Thick and long mustaches grow on the upper lip. They are called vibrissae, somewhat reminiscent of a brush and are indispensable when detecting underwater mollusks. The eyes are small and nearsighted. The mighty inhabitant of the northern waters sees very poorly, but his sense of smell is excellently developed. There are no external ears, and short yellow-brown hair grows on the skin. With age, the hairline is lost. Elderly walruses have completely bare skin.
It is remarkable that it is very thick and durable. Its thickness is 4 cm, and on the chest twice as much. That is skin is a powerful protective shell. In males, it is still covered with peculiar tubercles, which is a secondary sexual characteristic. The flippers of the animal are also interesting. The forelegs are very flexible, mobile and calloused. The hind legs can bend at the heel joint. This allows the animal to lean on them while moving on stones, earth or ice.
Two throat pouches are also of interest. They fill with air, and the walrus's neck begins to resemble an inflated ball. The muscles in the esophagus contract and prevent air from escaping. Thus, the fanged pinniped turns into a kind of float. His body can no longer drown, but is at the surface of the water in a vertical position. In a similar way, these animals sleep in harsh and cold waters. Above the sea surface, only the nose and swollen neck of the inhabitant of the northern waters are visible.
Reproduction and lifespan
These pinnipeds breed very slowly. Males and females reach sexual maturity only at the 5th age. Love games begin in the spring - this is April, May. They are accompanied by fights between males. Pregnancy lasts 340-370 days. The female gives birth to one cub, twins appear very rarely. A newborn weighs 30 kg, its body length is 80 cm, sometimes a little more. The baby feeds on mother's milk for more than a year. Only in the second year of life, when its fangs reach a more or less acceptable length, the cub begins to independently obtain food for itself.
The cub stays with its mother until the age of two. After that, the female is in no hurry to reproduce the next offspring into the world. She gives birth no more than once every 4 years. In general, no more than 5% of all females become pregnant every year. Walruses grow up to 20 years. Live mostly 30 years. The maximum life span of these pinnipeds is 35 years. True, there is a strong opinion that some individuals live up to 40 and even 50 years.
Behavior and nutrition
Walrus - herd animal. Its habitat extends to coastal waters, where the depth does not exceed 50 meters. It is this water column that is considered optimal for him. The pinniped finds food on the seabed. Sensitive vibrissae help him in this. Shellfish are undoubtedly the priority. The animal “plows” the muddy soil with its fangs and many shells rise up. The giant pinniped grinds them with its front powerful callused flippers and thus splits the shell. It settles to the bottom, and the gelatinous bodies remain floating in the water column. The animal eats them and again plunges its fangs into the sea soil. He needs to eat at least 50 kg of shellfish per day in order to get enough.
Various worms, crustaceans and carrion can also serve as food. Walruses do not like fish. They eat it very rarely, when there is simply no other way out. There are cases when powerful animals attack seals and narwhals. But this, as a rule, is done by individual individuals - a kind of bloodthirsty monsters. The bulk of walruses never practice this. They also completely lack cannibalism. These pinnipeds, on the contrary, are very friendly and soldered. In case of danger, they always come to the aid of each other. The attitude towards the cubs is very gentle and reverent. Mother is ready at any moment to give her life for her little blood. In the event of her death, the cub is taken under guardianship by other females.
The walrus rookeries are a breathtaking sight. Hundreds of huge bodies lie tightly pressed against each other on the rocky shore. Someone crawls into the water, someone returns to land. In this living mass, there are also separate skirmishes between males, and a tender friendship is tied up. There are also changing guards. They guard the peace of the herd and raise a loud roar in case of danger. Massive carcasses immediately quickly crawl into the sea. It happens that young walruses die in the stampede. But more often, mothers save them by covering them with their bodies. In addition to land, these pinnipeds arrange rookeries on small ice floes. Pack ice is not used for such purposes. On it, females only give birth to cubs.
Enemies
The mighty pinnipeds have only three enemies in the boundless Arctic lands. In first place is a human, followed by a polar bear, and third is a killer whale. With a man, everything is clear. He kills walruses for meat, hide, fat and tusks. True, in recent decades, the thoughtless destruction of these amazing animals has come to an end. Various restrictions and rules have been introduced to somehow influence the population and prevent the complete extermination of the unique creations of nature. Today, hunting for walruses is allowed only for the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic - the Chukchi and Eskimos. All other citizens are deprived of such rights. Such activities are considered poaching.
Although the polar bear is a dangerous opponent for the fanged pinniped, it cannot cope with it in the water. The walrus is more adapted to the depths of the sea and in a fight with a four-legged predator it always comes out victorious. On land, it is also problematic for a bear to overcome a seasoned billhook. Weak sick individuals and cubs are good for him. In any case, the bear is not a frequent visitor to walrus rookeries. Only hunger can move him to a fight with a mighty pinniped. If there are a lot of seals around, then the walruses have nothing to worry about, since their white-skinned enemy will always prefer this prey.
Swift killer whales also pose a real threat to walruses. These mammals reach a length of 9 meters. They have powerful jaws and sharp teeth. The fanged pinniped cannot withstand the onslaught of a ferocious predator, which is almost three times larger in size and four times heavier. The poor animal can be saved only if it gets out on land in time. In open waters, a flock of one and a half dozen killer whales can easily cope with five dozen walruses. Toothy predators have one tactic. They wedge themselves into a pack of their victims, break it apart, surround one of them and destroy it. That's actually all the enemies. No one can resist these fanged heroes in the Arctic lands anymore.
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