Biodiversity - About Walrus (Odobenus Rosmarus) 海象老大

1. WALRUS
Odobenus rosmarus

2. Conrad Gessner's Walrus. 1558. Historia Animalium.

3. Hi, I’m Walrus
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5. Scientific Classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Synapsida
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Suborder:
Caniformia
Clade:
Pinnipedia
Family:
Odobenidae
Genus:
Odobenus (Brisson, 1762)
Binomial name:
Odobenus rosmarus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies:
Atlantic walrus (Atlantic Ocean)
O. rosmarus rosmarus
Pacific walrus (Pacific Ocean)
O. rosmarus divergens
Laptev walrus (Laptev Ocean)
O. rosmarus laptevi

6. Pinnipedia

7. Scientific Classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Synapsida
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Suborder:
Caniformia
Clade:
Pinnipedia
Family:
Odobenidae
Genus:
Odobenus (Brisson, 1762)
Binomial name:
Odobenus rosmarus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies:
Atlantic walrus (Atlantic Ocean)
O. rosmarus rosmarus
Pacific walrus (Pacific Ocean)
O. rosmarus divergens
Laptev walrus (Laptev Ocean)
O. rosmarus laptevi

8. Type:
Mammal
Diet:
Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:
Up to 40 years
Size:
7.25 to 11.5 ft (2.2 to 3.5 m)
Weight:
Up to 1.5 tons (1400 kg)
Distribution:
Arctic Region
Did you know?
The largest male walrus in history lenght 4.9 m & weight 2268 kg.
Introduction

9. Appearance:
Cinnamon brown | Broad head
Small eyes | Small muzzle | Fat
Whiskers | Tusks | Flippers
Flippers:
5 digits
Aid in movement on land
Tusks:
Male: 3 ft. (abt 0.9 m)
Female: 2.5 ft. (abt 0.7 m)
Defence | Cut through ice | Get out of water
Did you know?
The walrus' scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus is Latin for "tooth-walking sea-horse".
Introduction

10. Worldwide walrus population:
about 250,000
Atlantic walrus:
roughly 22,500
(6,000 in Norway & Russia | 12,000 in Canada | 4,500 in Greenland)
Pacific walrus:
more than 200,000 (Eastern Russia | United States)
Laptev walrus:
5,000 ~ 10,000 (Laptev Sea | Kara Sea | East Siberia Sea)
Did you know?
The Pacific walrus population was severely reduced by hunting in the past, but their numbers have
rebounded after these severe reductions.
Population

11. Live in frigid waters near the Arctic Circle
● Areas with shallow water (ease of accessing food)
● Climb up on ice or beaches to sleep or to rest
● They don't move quickly on land but are swift in the water.
Live in large herd
● Can be more than 1,000 of them
● Security from predators
● Sunbathing
● Segregated by gender
● Parasites/virus it can result in high numbers of them
being wiped out.
Did you know?
Walruses are very fat, but for good reason. Their blubber keeps them warm in frigid waters. These
animals can also slow their heart rates, which allows them to live in freezing temperatures.
Habitats

12. Diet
● Shrimp
● Crabs
● Tube worms
● Soft corals
● Tunicates
● Sea cucumbers
● Various mollusk
● Parts of other pinnipeds
Natural predators
● Killer whales (the orca)
● Polar bears
Did you know?
They has a diverse and opportunistic diet, feeding on more than 60 genera of marine organisms!
Habitats

13. Late summer & fall
● May cover up to 1,800 miles.
● Follow the ice pack for their migration path. (exp:
migrate from Bering Sea into the Chukchi Sea through
the relatively narrow Bering Strait.)
● Swim to get where they are going .
● Riding on pieces of ice in the water.
During the summer months they are often found around
● Bering Strait, in the Chuckchi Sea
(branches off of the Arctic Ocean)
● Wrangle Island (along the Northern coast of Siberia)
● Northern shore of Alaska in the Beaufort Sea
Did you know?
Females and young offspring are likely to migrate a further distance than males.
Migration

14. Conservation status
In the 1950s, the population of walruses was almost eliminated due to commercial hunting, but the
population was brought back to a thriving number in the 1980s.
Did you know?
The IUCN did not have a category or criteria on the conservation status of the walrus until few years ago
because the animal's population was unknown.

15. Commercial hunting:
In the 18~19th centuries, the walrus was heavily exploited by American and European sealers and whalers,
leading to the near extirpation of the Atlantic population.
(Meat: nutrition source | Flippers & Tongues: delicacy | Tusks & Bones: tools & materials for handicraft | Oil:
warmth & light | Skins: rope, house & boat coverings | Intestines & Gut linings: waterproof parkas)
Global warming:
Harder for them to find food. Layers of ice that they are able to
rest on get thinner, when a heavy walrus gets on, the ice breaks.
Living area taken over:
Humans continue to take over some of the areas where the
walrus lives.
Did you know?
Even having noisy machines or airplanes flying over them can create stress and problems for them.
Cause & Threats to Extinction

16. Mating season:
December ~ March
Gestation:
15~16 months
Offspring:
Generally one caft
Did you know?
Though it’s very rare walruses will give birth to twins, twins have been recorded.
Reproductive Status
say Hi,
kid.
Hi.

17. The mating season for walruses are short, they have long gestation period and only give birth to one caft at
once.
Moreover, overhunting in the past had reduced the population of the walruses by a huge number, if they are
not conserved, they might be extinct from the world soon.
This might affect on the number of their predators too, which are the killer whales (orcas) and polar bears,
due to the reduces of their prey.
The marines organism which have been the food of the walruses might increase by a huge number.
Impact on Environment

18. Conservation Efforts
Commercial walrus harvesting is now outlawed throughout its range, although Chukchi, Yupik and Inuit
peoples continue to kill small numbers towards the end of each summer.
Native people of the Arctic hunt walruses for hides, food, ivory and bones, according to the IUCN. These
natives are now the only people who are allowed to legally hunt walruses.
The Pacific walrus population was severely reduced by hunting during the 1950’s, but their numbers have
rebounded again after these severe reductions in 1980’s.

19. Conservation Efforts

20. CONCLUSION

21. Thank You!Bad habit. Please do not attempt.

22. References
● Walrus. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from https://local-brookings.k12.sd.us/krscience/zoology/webpage
projects/sp11webprojects/walrus/walrus.htm
● Walrus | Basic Facts About Walruses | Defenders of Wildlife. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.defenders.org/walrus/basic-facts
● Walrus Facts - Live Science. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.livescience.com/27442-walrus-facts.html
● Walrus Habitat - Walrus Facts and Information. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.walrus-world.com/walrus-habitat/
● Walrus Habitat and Distribution - Animal Facts and Information. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.bioexpedition.com/walrus-habitat-and-distribution/
● Distribution and Habitat - NAMMCO. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.nammco.no/marine-mammals/seals-and-walrus-pinnipeds/atlantic-walrus/general-characteristics/distributi
on-and-habitat/
● Seal Conservation Society, Walrus - Pinnipeds. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://www.pinnipeds.org/seal-information/species-information-pages/walrus
● Biodiversity Heritage Library: The Walrus as you Never ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from
http://blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2014/07/the-walrus-as-you-never-knew-him.html