LIFE CYCLE: The maximum lifespan of a walrus is approximately 40 years . FEEDING: Walruses eat clams, crabs, shrimp, soft corals, sea cucumbers, and various other mollusks. They use their extremely sensitive “whiskers” to identify food.
What is the average lifespan of a walrus?
Females begin breeding at 6-7 years of age and generally give birth every 2 years. Males are mature at 8-10 years of age, but generally cannot successfully compete against older, larger males for females until they are 15 years old. Walruses may live up to 40 years .
Do walruses eat humans?
Polar bears are generally more dangerous on land, while walruses are more dangerous in the water. Unlike walruses, polar bears have been known to hunt humans as prey . That is why we take polar bear safety so seriously. Walruses have been known to attack humans too, but generally only in self-defense.
What is a female walrus called?
Both the male (called a bull) and the female (called a cow ) have tusks; however, those of the male are much larger. Males may weigh over a ton and reach a length of more than 10 feet.
Do walruses have any predators?
As they are very large, walruses have few natural predators , but polar bears and killer whales are known to occasionally attack them.
Which animal can beat a polar bear?
Adult polar bears have no natural predators, though walruses and wolves can kill them.
What eats a penguin?
Their main predators are other marine animals, such as leopard seals and killer whales . Skuas and sheathbills also eat penguin eggs and chicks. Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.
How old is the oldest walrus?
(AP) _ Sad-eyed, white-whiskered Olga, the nation’s oldest walrus in captivity, has died. The 27-year-old Atlantic walrus died of old age Sunday, said veterinarian William Torgerson. Olga, who weighed about 2,700 pounds, had been at the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago since 1962, when she was a 6-month old pup.
Which animal lives the longest?
The longest living mammal is the bowhead whale , which can live up to 200 years. Also known as the Arctic whale, this animal is big, and lives in cold waters so its metabolism is slow. The record age for a bowhead is 211 years.
Does a polar bear eat a walrus?
Carcasses. Polar bears use their sense of smell to detect a carcass from nearly 20 miles away. They will happily feed on the carcasses of beluga whales, grey whales, walruses , narwhals and bowhead whales when available.
Why do walrus eyes pop out?
Also like phocids, it lacks external ears. The extraocular muscles of the walrus are well-developed. This and its lack of orbital roof allow it to protrude its eyes and see in both a frontal and dorsal direction.
Is eating walrus illegal?
Management. In 1941, the commercial harvest of walruses was banned in the United States . Passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1972 further protected walruses from overharvest by restricting the harvest to only Alaska Natives for subsistence and handicraft purposes.
Is a walrus a tusk?
Their tusks, which are found on both males and females , can extend to about three feet, and are, in fact, large canine teeth, which grow throughout their lives. Male walruses, or bulls, also employ their tusks aggressively to maintain territory and, during mating season, to protect their harems of females, or cows.
What is bigger an elephant seal or a walrus?
Among the most amazing of pinnipeds are the elephant seals. ... These seals are famous for being big. They are the biggest of pinnipeds – bigger even than walruses – there being a record of a giant male Southern elephant seal that was between 6.5 and 6.8 m long and weighed over 4000 kg (Carwardine 1995).
Do sharks eat walruses?
Yes, some species of shark, like the great white, will eat a walrus . Sharks are predatory fish that belong to the suborder Selachimorpha.
Where do walruses sleep?
When walruses sleep in the water, they usually lie at the bottom , float along the surface, or lean against something while in a standing position. They can even hook their tusks onto an ice floe and sleep that way. Like elephants, walruses can go for days without sleep.
