Fast Facts
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: Up to 40 years
Size: 7.25 to 11.5 ft (2.2 to 3.5 m)
Weight: Up to 1.5 tons (1.4 metric tons)
Group name: Herd
Protection status: Endangered
Did you know? The walrus' scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for "tooth-walking sea-horse."
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: Up to 40 years
Size: 7.25 to 11.5 ft (2.2 to 3.5 m)
Weight: Up to 1.5 tons (1.4 metric tons)
Group name: Herd
Protection status: Endangered
Did you know? The walrus' scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for "tooth-walking sea-horse."
Endangered Species?
The melting Arctic
Unfortunately a walrus's tusk are made out of ivory which is highly valued. So people hunt walruses just to be rich! Walruses also live in the Arctic which-also has problems- it's melting and that (annoyingly) is because of global-warming.
Diet
Walrus staples include clams, mussels and other bottom dwelling organisms that they locate through their whiskers. They are also known to eat carcasses of young seals when food is scarce.
Population
The worldwide walrus population is about 250,000 animals. Pacific walruses number more than 200,000. The Pacific walrus population has been severely reduced by hunting several times in the past. Their numbers have rebounded after these severe reductions.
Range
The walrus is circumpolar in its range but they are found in geographically separate areas. The Pacific walrus is found in the Bering, Chukchi, and Laptev Sea, while the Atlantic walrus inhabits the coastal regions of northeastern Canada and Greenland.
Behavior
Walruses are very social animals and congregate in large numbers. They haul out in herds and males and females form separate herds during the non-breeding season. They establish dominance through threat displays involving tusks, bodies and aggression. The largest walruses are the most aggressive. Walruses spend two thirds of their lives in the water. Most walrus groups migrate north in the summer and south in the winter, and females haul out on the ice to give birth.
Population
The worldwide walrus population is about 250,000 animals. Pacific walruses number more than 200,000. The Pacific walrus population has been severely reduced by hunting several times in the past. Their numbers have rebounded after these severe reductions.
Range
The walrus is circumpolar in its range but they are found in geographically separate areas. The Pacific walrus is found in the Bering, Chukchi, and Laptev Sea, while the Atlantic walrus inhabits the coastal regions of northeastern Canada and Greenland.
Behavior
Walruses are very social animals and congregate in large numbers. They haul out in herds and males and females form separate herds during the non-breeding season. They establish dominance through threat displays involving tusks, bodies and aggression. The largest walruses are the most aggressive. Walruses spend two thirds of their lives in the water. Most walrus groups migrate north in the summer and south in the winter, and females haul out on the ice to give birth.