Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Walrus







Walrus are the largest of the European pinnipeds(carnivorous aquatic mammal). The main feature are their tusks, on males these can grow up to 7cm long. The tusks allow them to haul themselves onto the ice so they can eat, in social displays, to kill seals and to defend against polar bears. These animals are found in huge herds; the pups are born dark grey, before they moult into their brown coat. Found on northern coastlines, near packs of ice on which they breed on.



Size: males 2.8-3.6m; females 2.5-3m

Young: single litter of 1-2; April-June: females only breed every two or three years!!



Diet: molluscs, seals, crustaceans and fish



Status: locally common; but are still recovering from near-extincion in the 1950s


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