Hobbies And Interests
Appearance
Walruses are large animals. The can grow to between 7 and 11 ½ feet long, and can weigh up to 1 ½ tons. Females are usually slightly smaller than male walruses. Walruses, which are dark brown, are covered in a thick layer of blubber, or fat, which helps insulate them against the extreme cold of their habitat. Both the male and female walrus grows long, white tusks. They use them to help pull themselves out of the water on to the ice. Male walruses also use their tusks for battling during mating season. Walrus tusks can grow to about 3 feet long. Female walruses usually have shorter tusks.
Habitat
Walruses are found along the Arctic Circle. Walruses are divided into two subspecies, depending upon where they can be found living. Pacific walruses live in the northern seas of Alaska and Russia. Atlantic walruses dwell in waters off of northern Greenland and Canada. Atlantic walruses grow to be slightly smaller than Pacific walruses.
Diet
Walruses consist mainly on shellfish and mollusks, such as crabs and shrimp. They will also eat other aquatic creatures, such as octopus, and may occasionally hunt larger prey, such as spotted seals. Walruses tend to dive deep, towards the bottom of the ocean, to find their prey. They slow their heartbeats in order to stand the frigid cold of the water. Walruses then use their sensitive whiskers to find prey that may be burrowed into the sea floor.
Lifecycle
Walruses tend to be social animals, and live in large groups on ice floes. Male walruses live together in packs during the summer time. They join with the females into larger groups during the mating season, which is in the middle of winter. Male walruses fight each other in order to secure mates. Young walruses are born in the spring. Each female gives birth once every two or three years. This is due to the fact that young walruses stay with their mothers for about two years. Walruses can live a natural lifespan of about 40 years.
Endangered Species
Walruses were listed as an endangered species in the early 1970s. Walruses disappeared completely from some areas. They were hunted for their tusks, as well as the oil that can be produced from their fat. This over hunting was the main cause of their near extinction. As of 2011, only Native Americans are allowed to hunt walruses. The walrus, and walrus hunting, is an important part of their culture. The most recent study done on the walrus population was in 1990. It showed that the population was stabilizing, and that there were about 200,000 walruses living in the Arctic Circle.