Walrus
| Walrus[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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 Distribution of Walrus
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O. rosmarus rosmarus |
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A walrus is a marine mammal, the only species of the family Odobenidae, which is one of the three pinniped families. They live in the cold northern seas around North America and Europe.
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[change] Description
Walruses have lots of things similar to true seals and eared seals. Like true seals, they just have a hole for an ear - not ear flaps. Like eared seals, they can rotate their back flippers forward to walk on land. Like both true seals and eared seals, they are very good swimmers and divers. However, walruses do have some features that neither true seals nor eared seals have.
The most famous thing about walruses are their tusks (but even though they are called tusks, they are actually teeth growing out of their mouth, a bit like the narwhal). Walruses have very long teeth that grow out of their mouths. The tusks grow for about 15 years before they reach their full length, which is about 40 inches for males and 30 for females.
With most mammals, only the male grows tusks, but both the male and female walrus grow tusks because they are very important. They can use it to protect themselves from polar bears and killer whales, and use them when the eat: for instance, when they eat bigger prey such as seals and small whales, they first tear them apart with their tusks to make them easier to eat. Another important use of a walrus's tusks is to help itself haul out. Pushing its tusks into the ice, the walrus gets extra help hauling its enormous (really big) body out of the sea. This is probably how walruses got their family name Odobenidae, which comes from Greek words meaning "one that walks with teeth." They do not walk with their teeth, but it can look as if they do when they pull themselves out of the water. Their tusks can also be used to cut holes in the ice. They also sometimes sleep with their tusks anchored into the ice (probably so they will not slip around when walruses push each other for a nicer place to sleep). Of course, males also use their tusks to fight with other males. [3]
Walruses are very big, even compared to big male sea lions. When they are all grown up, they can weigh more than 3,000 pounds. The walruses that live in the Atlantic Ocean are a little smaller than the ones in the Pacific Ocean. Both kinds like to stay in the cold north. With all their blubber, which can be as much as six inches thick, they are very comfortable in icy water.
[change] Changing Colors
Walruses can change colors depending on how warm they are. They are usually different kinds of brown, but as they get warmer, their skin can turn pink. This is because as they get warmer, blood rushes to the skin to try to cool it. The extra blood makes the skin look pink. When they are really cold, their skin can almost turn white. This is because as the skin gets very cold, the animal's body makes the blood go away from the skin. Without blood, the skin's color gets lighter.
[change] References
- ↑ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ↑ Seal Specialist Group (1996). Odobenus rosmarus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
- ↑ Exploring Creation with Zoology 2 by Jeannie K. Fulbright, p. 48
[change] Other websites
