Walrus
Odobenus Rosmarus Divergens
By Hanna
Appearance-The Walrus's skin is dark brown and wrinkled with little stiff hairs sticking out.Young calves usually have more hair then adults. A walrus's skin is very tough and thick and a polar bear must work very hard to chew through the skin of a dead walrus for food. Walruses molt their skin. Walrus tusks can be very big. Male tusks can be up to 4 ft. and females can be up to 2 ft. Adult males weigh 900 kg. and measure about 3.1m. Female adults weigh about 560 kg. and measure about 2.6m. The Pacific walrus is slightly bigger than the Atlantic. A Walrus is actually an overgrown seal.Walruses are surrounded with wiskers and they smell their food around them with their whiskers. A walruses eyes are very small and it's head looks like it's too big for it's body.
Habitat-Most walruses live in the Alaskan Sea, the Chuckuchi Sea, Bristol Bay, the Bering Sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Sea, the Arctic Sea, Rocky shores, icefloats and icecaps. Most walruses migrate in the spring and fall so they can follow the food.
Food-Most Walruses eat worms, snails, crabs, clams, seals, shellfish and mussels. Walruses can eat 3,000-6,000 lbs. at both of their 2 meals every day. Some Walruses also eat seals and small whales. The way walruses find food is they anchor them selves at the bottom of the ocean with their tails and then blow all the dust away so they can find food with their whiskers.
Enemies-The walruses enemies are ice, killer whales, people and polar bears. Ice is it's enemy because it can slip on it. The killer whale and the polar bears are the only animals that can chew through it's tough skin. A polar bear must work hard to chew through the a dead walrus's skin so he can eat his insides for food. Walruses are hunted for their skins by hunters from Norway, Russia, Great Britan, Greenland, Canada and the United States of America. Walruses will dive into the water at the slightest human scent.
Life Cycle-Walrus babies are called calves. They stay with their mother for 2 years. Calves are born every three years during May or June. When the calf's born it's a grayish silver but quickly turns to brown. When calves are born they weigh 85-150 lbs. Breeding occurs in February or March but the fetus dosnt start to grow till June. The mother walrus stores the milk in the fat parts of its body the first year after the calf is born. This helps the calf grow well. Most walruses live 16-30 years. Calves born approximately every three years are nursed upside down. Air sacks in female walrus's necks help them to nurse with their heads out of the water.
Other Information-Male walruses enjoy making sounds for females. The scientific name for the walrus is Odobenus Rosmarus Divergens. Some walruses migrate more than 3,000 km. a year to follow the food. Walruses are called pinnepeds sometimes. Male walruses are called bulls and females are called cows. The way you know how old a walrus is is that they have life rings.
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