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The Walrus!. Ian O ’Connor. Habitats of the Walrus. Areas They Live In
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The Walrus! Ian O’Connor
Habitats of the Walrus Areas They Live In Walruses split their time in the shallow waters where they eat. They also spend some time on ice flows or the land and since they can’t be constantly swimming, they rest here. They also head out onto sea ice to give birth, socialize and nurse the newly born Walruses.
Adaptations Skin Walrus skin is thick which keeps them warm while they swim, they also have a 6 cm thick layer of blubber under this skin. The blubber will keep the body warm while they swim in the cold water. Tusks Walruses have tusks to attract possible mates by fighting and just how long & thick they are. They also have these tusks to maintain holes in the ice and help them get from the water onto ice.
The Life History Migration In the late Summer and Fall they gather in groups of tens of thousands and will migrate through the Bering Strait. Reproduction Walruses live about 20-30 years in the wilderness and don’t usually mate until their about 15 years old. The females get attracted by vocal displays of dominance. Then they’ll copulate in the water. Gestation lasts about 15 months, when the calves are born they weigh about 45-75 kg.
Related Species to Walrus • Earless Seal-Phocidae • Walrus-Odobenidae • Eared Seal -Otariidae • How they’re related • Flippers are shorter than most mammals • All Pinnepeds have blubber • Most of them molt their skin annually • All Pinnepeds rely on thermoregulation, for some it’s just blubber but for others they can draw blood directly from an area to prevent blood loss • Whiskers are used to navigate
Sources http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Pacific_walrus/natural_history.html http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Walrus http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/walrus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caniformia