Walrus

** Walrus ** Genus: Odobenus Species: Odobenus rosmarus Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Odobenidae
 * Odobenus Rosmarus **
 * Classification**

The walrus was put on the endangered species list in 2008. Although the overall gobal population is still somewhat large, there has been evidence of decrease in population within the two subspecies. This is due to climate change which has a greater effect on the Pacific subspecies.
 * Endangered Species Act**

Walrus’s seasonal migration patterns go along with the changes in the ice. In the winter, walruses move south as the Arctic ice expands, and then in the summer they move north as the ice recedes. The migration can cover distances up to 3,000 kilometers. The total population is around 250,000. The subspecies of the Pacific walrus is about 200,000 and the rest is the Atlantic walrus.
 * Migration**
 * Population**

Walruses are divided into two subspecies, Atlantic and Pacific. One ocean you can find walruses in is the North Pacific. The temperature of these waters can range between 5 degrees to -2. The salinity of the water is 33.5 The latitude location is between 60 and 90 degrees north, and 180 to 150 west. Some currents in this area are the Alaskan current and North Pacific Drift. The Pacific Ocean has the deepest trenches and the rim of the Pacific basin is ringed with volcanoes, known as the ring of fire. The highest tides recorded around the area were 16.59 and the lowest was .11. Walruses tend to inhabit areas with ice floes in the shallower waters, or on the ice themselves which they use for mating and birthing.
 * Description of Habitat**

The population of walruses is definitely showing a decrease. However there is a decent amount left; there is a decrease in the population.
 * Survival trends**

Walruses are very big gray marine mammals. An average Pacific walrus male is around 4,500 pounds and an average Atlantic walrus male is around 3,000. A predominant trait of the walruses both male and female is the large tusks. The length of the tusks can reach up to one meter, and are usually long and heavier in males. Along with the tusks are stiff whiskers, which can reach lengths up to thirty centimeters. They have very short coarse hair, but they still appear bald. As the walrus ages the short hair becomes less dense. Their skin lies in rolls, and can be up to four centimeters thick. The skin is the toughest on the neck and shoulders. As the walrus ages their skin becomes paler. When they are in the water they also appear paler as the blood flow to the skin is restricted. Walruses have very small ears and their eyes are small and pig like.
 * Appearance**

Walruses have a unique feature called air sacs. Air sacs are located under the throat by their short, thick neck. The air sac can inflate and allow the heavy animal to float vertically with its head above the water. They are also used as resonance chambers to produce bell-like sounds underwater. Blubber on the walrus is a layer of fat about fifteen centimeters thick to insulate the walrus from the cold weather. Ears are very small and have only a low wrinkle of skin on the outside, making the head very streamlined. The forelimbs are the front flipper like arms. They are wide and long, cartilaginous, and have five digits. They are used for paddling at slow speeds and steering during swimming. Hind limbs are somewhat triangular in shape and are used for graceful swimming. They hind limbs turn toward for walking on land. Walruses have vibrissae which are the thick, sensitive whiskers on the walrus’ muzzle helping in finding food.
 * Anatomy**

Walruses feed on animals that reside on the surface of the bottom of the ocean, or in the sediments that coat the bottom. Their main diet consists of mussels, snails, echinoderms, and crabs. Walruses dive for food usually lasts two to ten months and can reach depths of ten to fifty meters. They use their whiskers to help navigate food on the ocean floor. Soft bodied organisms are swallowed whole. Walruses crack mollusk shells between their flippers, and eat the soft part. Another way they eat is hold the shelled organism in between their lips and ingest the fleshy parts by a powerful suction. Very occasionally walruses prey on fish, seals, and young whales. However, to make the food chain complete, walruses are consumed by bears, orcas, and humans.
 * Feeding habits**

Walruses breed during the harsh Arctic winters.. The age of the female during reproduction is 2,635 days and the male is the same. Mature males have exclusive access to a herd of females for one to five days at a time. Mating takes place in January and February, most likely underwater. Implantation of the blastocysts is delayed for four to five days, until June or July. Birth occurs ten to eleven months later, from mid April to mid June. Which brings the entire gestation period is fifteen to sixteen months. Females give birth to a single offspring. The calf is about 113 centimeters long and weighs approximately 63 kilograms. It is born gray, and able to swim. The bond between mother and calf is very strong, and last about two years.
 * Reproduction**

There are positive and negative importance walruses have with humans. Some negative importance for humans is they do not have contact with people. Some positive importances for humans are used for their meat and skin. They use their ivory tusks for tools, weapons, and art. They hunt them for their blubber also which is used for oil. Although these are not good for the species they have an economic importance.
 * Economic Importance**

Some threats for walrus endangerment is hunting them for their blubber and tusks. Some parts use walruses for food as well. They are also in danger because of global warming. They live in extremely cold waters and on ice and with the water getting warmer and the ice melting that is a problem for them. Also we are hunting their food, food such as crabs and mussels.
 * Threats for endangerment**

Since the major decrease in walrus’ population there have been some programs set up for the Pacific population. Commercial walrus hunting was banned in Canada in 1931. A U.S. Department of Commerce regulation in 1937 and the Congressional Walrus Act in 1941 banned all U.S. commercial hunting, allowing only native subsistence hunting.
 * Conservation efforts**

I feel like there should be a more strict policy for hunting walruses, because people still do and mostly in the Atlantic. Another reason they are in danger is because of the climate. There is not much you can do about global warming except conserve to help our environment. Also we can stop catching their food in the abundance we are catching. The top things that are in demand are things like mussels, and crabs and that is what they eat. If we stop taking so much of their food it will help with them living longer and increasing the birth rate.
 * Solutions**

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 * Sources**

Scavenger : When and where do they mate? Where do they live? What eats walrus?