Marine Animals

Marine Animals

Learn About Marine Life

About Manatees
About Otters
About Seals
About Sea Lions
About Sea Turtles
About Sharks
About Stingrays / Mantarays
About Walruses
Marine Coloring Pages
Marine Life Photo Gallery
Marine Animal Sounds

Marine Animal Gifts

Dolphin Gifts
Manatee Gifts
Otter Gifts
Seal Gifts
Sea Lion Gifts
Sea Turtle Gifts
Shark Gifts
Stingray Gifts
Walrus Gifts
Whale Gifts

Marine Life Education

Marine Life

The ocean is an amazing place with hundreds of different types of animal species. Take a look at some of the popular marine life.

Walrus

Walrus are aquatic mammals.

Walrus is a large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers.

Walrus Classification:

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Pinnipedia
Genus: Odobenus
Species: Rosmarus

Other Names: Tooth Walkers,

Sub-species of Walrus:

Atlantic Walrus - O. Rosmarus Rosmarus
Pacific Walrus - O. Rosmarus Divergens
Laptev Sea Walrus - O. Rosmarus Laptevi

* some dispute the Laptev Walrus is a separate species and classify it as a Pacific Walrus.

Size: The walrus is the largest flippered marine mammal. The male walrus is 9-11 feet in length and weigh up to 3,700 lbs. While the female walrus is 7-10 feet in length and weigh up to 2,700 lbs.

Habitat: The walrus is circumpolar. 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. Habitats prefer shallow water that is not more than 262 feet deep. Walrus haul out on ice floes, pack ice and small rocky islands.

Walrus in Other Languages:

Danish:
Hvalros
Dutch: Walrus
Estonian: Morsk
Finnish: Mursu
French: Morse
German: Walross
Greenlandic: Aaveq / Aaffaffak
Irish: Rosualt
Italian: Tricheco
Latvian: Valzirgs
Lithuanian: Veplys
Norweigan: Hvalross / Kvalross
Polish: Mors
Portuguese: Morsa
Romanian: Morsa
Slovak: Mroz
Spanish: Morsa
Swahili: Nguva Aktiki
Swedish: Valross
Turkish: Mors
Vietnamese: Con Mooc / Con H'i ma

Diet: Walruses are carnivores, primarily eat clams, snails, mussels, worms, sea cucumbers, and other animals that they find on the sea floor. If a walrus is hungry they will go after larger prey like seals. Walrus locate their food using their whiskers by feeling along the ocean floor.

Senses: Walruses are thought to have sensitive hearing. While a walruses eyesight is not as acute as other pinnipeds'. Exceptional vision is not necessary, because they are primarily bottom-dwelling animals. Walrus have a well developed sense of smell.

Description: Walruses are cinnamon brown in color. Walrus are excessively large and often have mottled pink hides. Walrus have two tusks that can grow up to 3 feet in length. Both male and female walruses have tusks but the males tend to be longer than a females. A thick layer of blubber insulates the walrus in the frigid Arctic.

Communication: Walruses produce sounds both above and below water. Walruses can produce growls, grunts, barks, soft whistles, rasps, and clicks. Walruses communicate both vocally and with physical displays.

Did You Know?


Walruses can dive 300 feet to feed on the ocean floor. Walruses can remain submerged for up to 12 minutes before surfacing.

Gestation: Walrus carry their young 15-16 months, which includes a 3-4 month period of delayed implantation. The walrus has the lowest reproductive rate of any pinniped species.

Birth: Walrus typically give birth to a single calf at a time, but on occasion walrus will bear two calves. Calves are ashen gray to brown in color at birth. Newborn walrus calves weigh 99-156 lbs at birth. Newborn calves are about 3-4 feet long.

Calves: Walrus calves are weaned at about two years of age.There is a high mortality rate in walrus calves.

Sexual Maturity: Female walruses sexually mature between the ages of 5-6, but they do not begin reproducing until they are 10 years of age. Male walruses sexually mature between the ages of 8-10 years of age, but do not successfully reproduce until they are about 15 years of age.

Life Span: Walrus live up to 40 years. Walrus are prey for polar bears and orcas.

Social Structure: A group of walrus are called a herd. Walruses are highly social in nature. They can become aggressive during mating season.

 

Walrus
Walrus

Status: Endangered

Population Estimates:
200,000 Pacific Walruses , less than 20,000 Atlantic Walruses

Walrus Photo

Walrus Picture

Walrus
Walrus Face

Tusked Walrus

Marine Animal Gifts

 

Copyright © 2011- 2021 DR Management
All rights reserved


Wild Animal Gifts
:: About Dolphins :: Sea Glass Gifts