Walrus

Kids Learning

Walrus

We have heard about many sea animals. In the freezing temperature some water mammals dwell in perfect comfort. One such mammal is Walrus. They are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. Walrus gather in large herds and they divide their time between the water and beaches or ice floes. They remarkably can dive to depths of 90m(300ft) and can stay under water for as long as half an hour. Their gait and habits are different in a striking way from other sea mammals. They use their pectoral flippers to move along out of water and can stand on all fours with an outlandish gait when on rough surfaces. They feed on fish but commonly browse all along the sea bottom in order to suck clams from the shell. The most striking feature is their tusks which they use for fighting, supremacy and exhibit. They use their tusks also for forming and maintaining holes in the ice or to hook themselves with the ice. Their thick skin is in accordance with the temperature. They range from 9 to 12ft in length and weights 800 to 1,700 kg and the males are always larger then females. They are highly social animals and are tender if not attacked.