Walrus

For other uses, see Walrus (disambiguation).

Walrus
Temporal range: Pleistocene to Recent
Male Pacific walrus
Female Pacific walrus with young
CITES Appendix III (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipedia
Family: Odobenidae
Genus: Odobenus
Brisson, 1762
Species:
O. rosmarus
Binomial name
Odobenus rosmarus
Subspecies

O. rosmarus rosmarus
O. rosmarus divergens
O. rosmarus laptevi (debated)

Distribution of walrus
Synonyms

The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large pinniped marine mammal with discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only extant species in the family Odobenidae and genus Odobenus. This species is subdivided into two subspecies:[3] the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean.

Adult walrus are characterised by prominent tusks and whiskers, and considerable bulk: adult males in the Pacific can weigh more than 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds)[4] and, among pinnipeds, are exceeded in size only by the two species of elephant seals.[5] Walrus live mostly in shallow waters above the continental shelves, spending significant amounts of their lives on the sea ice looking for benthic bivalve molluscs. Walruses are relatively long-lived, social animals, and are considered to be a "keystone species" in the Arctic marine regions.

The walrus has played a prominent role in the cultures of many indigenous Arctic peoples, who have hunted it for meat, fat, skin, tusks, and bone. During the 19th century and the early 20th century, walrus were widely hunted for their blubber, walrus ivory, and meat. The population of walruses dropped rapidly all around the Arctic region. It has rebounded somewhat since, though the populations of Atlantic and Laptev walruses remain fragmented and at low levels compared with the time before human interference.

  1. ^ Lowry, L. (2016). "Odobenus rosmarus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T15106A45228501. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T15106A45228501.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices". cites.org. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  3. ^ Wozencraft WC (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson DE, Reeder DM (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ "Walrus: Physical Characteristics". seaworld.org. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.
  5. ^ Fay FH (1985). "Odobenus rosmarus". Mammalian Species (238): 1–7. doi:10.2307/3503810. JSTOR 3503810. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2008.