WALRUSES

Walruses

Magnificent giants live in the distant Arctic seas. You can recognize these giants by their huge teeth, thick mustaches on their faces and their skin turning pink in the sun. We're talking about walruses. Among cetaceans, only whales and seals are larger than walruses. The weight of an adult male walrus (Pacific species) can reach 1800 kg and length -3.6 m. The weight of walruses comes from the thickness of their bodies: some walruses are larger in diameter than they are tall. Walruses spend 2/3 of their lives in water. They are perfectly adapted to arctic conditions and prefer glaciers on land. Walruses like to lie in the sun whenever they get the chance. When they get warm, their color turns pink because the blood circulation in the veins in their skin accelerates. When immersed in cold water, their skin color turns light brown. The skin of walruses is tough and thick (about 4.5 cm), but what really protects them from the arctic cold is the layer of fat under their skin. The thickness of this fat layer can reach up to 12 cm.

The Latin name for the zoological family of walruses is Odobenus, meaning "one who walks with his teeth." They are so named because of the way walruses climb onto a piece of ice: They thrust their huge teeth into the ice and pull their bodies upwards. Walrus tusks can grow up to 80-100 cm. Teeth are both the walrus' greatest weapon and the symbol of their social status. The other most distinctive feature of walruses is the stiff whiskers called "vibrissae" on its face. They use these whiskers to find mussels on the seabed. Walrus whiskers are normally 30 cm long. Due to the fact that walruses living in natural conditions constantly use whiskers, they can grow up to 10-12 cm. remains in length. In nature, walruses live in large groups. They use various sound signals to communicate with each other. Walruses generally have offspring every 2 years, and most of the time they will only give birth to one cub.

In the animal kingdom, female walruses are one of the most attentive mothers: she never takes her eyes off her cub even for a moment, and when another walrus approaches, she immediately attacks. Many walrus watchers say that at a dangerous moment, the female walrus grabs her calf with her front flippers, jumps into the water, and swims away on her back without letting go of her calf. A walrus cub that loses its mother is always adopted by other female walruses in the group.