Walrus

Facts

IUCN DATA DEFICIENT (DD)

Facts about this animal

The walrus is a very large and robust pinniped, with a brown skin. The skin is covered with short coarse hair. The walrus' most distinctive features are the large tusks (enlarged upper canine teeth up to 1.5m). The Atlantic subspecies O.r.rosmarus measures about 300 cm and weigh 1'200 kg. Females measure 250 cm and weigh 750 kg. The Pacific walrus O.r.divergens is slightly larger. The walrus is a social animal, forming mixed herds of up to 2'000 of more during feeding and migration. In breeding time older males defend harems. They feed on molluscs and crustaceans.

Did you know?
that walruses use their whiskers (vibrissae) to locate food?. A walrus has about 400-700 vibrissae on its snout. These are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves. A walrus moves its snout through bottom sediment to find food.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	CARNIVORA
Suborder	PINNIPEDIA
Family	ODOBENIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Odobenus rosmarus
Name (English)	Walrus
Name (French)	Morse
Name (German)	Walross
Name (Spanish)	Morsa
Local names	Danish, Hvalros Icelandic: Rostungur Norwegian: Hvalross Swedish: Valross
CITES Status	Appendix III (Canada and Danemark)
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Circumpolar region of the Arctic
Habitat	Areas with ice floes in the shallower regions near the coasts of Arctic waterways
Wild population	Pacific Walruses 200,000 (1990) (Wikipedia 2011), Atlantic Walrus below 18.000-20,000 (2006) (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	25 reported to ISIS

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 76 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Why do zoos keep this animal

Zoos keep walruses primarily for educational purposes to demonstrate how the carnivores adapted to arctic and maritime conditions and thus became able to expand their range into the seas and the north polar zone. Of course the walrus is also an excellent ambassador for its ecosystem and may serve as a flagship species for campaigns or educational programmes raising awareness about Global Warming.

How this animal should be kept

Although a marine species, the walrus can be kept in freshwater pools if necessary. The water should be of good quality, and must either be filtered or replaced at appropriate intervals.

A pool for up to two adult walrus must have the following dimensions: a minimum surface of 200 m² and an average water depth of 3 m, i.e. a water volume of 600 m³. For each additional adult animal, the water surface must be increased by 40 m², and the water volume accordingly.

The land part of the enclosure should have a size of 10 m² per adult animal.

Walrus should be fed at least twice per day. The diet consists of sea fish, such as herring or mackerel, of good quality. The fish should be supplemented with vitamins, in particular vitamin B1.

Regular training or other forms of behavioural enrichment are essential.