Facts

• Odobenus rosmarus is the only member of the family Odobenidae (Boessenecker 2013)

• Female walruses are called cows and the male walruses are called bulls (Riedman 1990)

• Female walruses tend to choose their mate based on the visual and vocal displays the males perform (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses display the most elaborate courtship of all pinnipeds prior to mating (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses spend the majority of their lifetime either in, or near, water (Baker 2013)

• Walruses live in a power system, with the oldest and strongest having the most power (Baker 2013)

• Tusks of male walruses can weigh up to a total of ten pounds (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses tend to stick together in very large groups, even when they are not mating (Riedman 1990)

• Walrus tusks, on average, grow to about 50cm, but can reach up to 90cm (Baker 2013)

• Walruses give birth only on land or ice, never in the water (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses migrate north during the summer months, and south during the winter months (Baker 2013)

• Females tend to care for their young for long periods of time which can be anywhere between one and four years (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses are known to be one of the largest pinnipeds (Baker 2013)

• Females enter into estrus again four months after giving birth (Riedman 1990)

• The average lifespan of pinnipeds is between 15-20 years (Riedman 1990)

• Walruses mostly consume bivalve mollusks which they dig up from the ocean floor (Baker 2013)

• Walruses dig big holes in the ocean floor in order to obtain their food (Kastelein 1988)

• Walruses do not dig with their tusks, but with their front flippers (Kastelein 1988)

• Walruses mainly inhabit the Arctic, Northern Pacific, and Northern Atlantic Oceans (Kastelein 1988)

 

 

 

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