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What are some behavioral adaptations of a walrus?
Lesson Summary Plants and animals use adaptations to help them survive in their environments. The many physical and behavioral adaptations of the walrus, such as its long tusks and flipper walking, make it possible for this animal to live successfully in and out of the water near the Arctic Circle.
How do walruses survive in their environment?
A walrus’s dense layer of fat helps it to survive temperatures well below freezing. With good insulation; walruses have a thick layer of body fat just under their skin that keeps them warm, streamlines their form and provides them with energy when reserves dip low. …
What is the personality of a walrus?
These marine mammals are extremely sociable, prone to loudly bellowing and snorting at one another, but are aggressive during mating season. With wrinkled brown and pink hides, walruses are distinguished by their long white tusks, grizzly whiskers, flat flipper, and bodies full of blubber.
How long can a walrus stay underwater?
Despite their size and their ability to stay underwater for up to half an hour, walruses are not deep divers—they usually feed at depths of less than 300 feet.
Does a walrus have teeth?
Most walruses have 18 teeth. The two canine teeth in the upper jaw are modified into long ivory tusks. Both males and females have tusks. Tusks grow for about 15 years, although they may continue to grow in males.
What color is a walrus?
The color of walrus varies. When walrus are in cold water, they may appear pale brown, grey, or even yellowish. On land, when walrus are warm, they are pinkish to darker brown.
What is a walrus tusk worth?
Tusks also come in handy for scraping up food or helping to pull the animals up onto land or ice. True ivory walrus tusks can be hard to come by; and as of July 2011, those that are legally sold can be worth as little as $100 or in some forms as much as $50,000.
How are walruses adapted to live in cold water?
From about -20° to 15°C (-4° – 59°F) a walrus’s metabolism doesn’t change, and the temperature doesn’t appear to affect the walrus’s behavior. Walruses can withstand even cooler temperatures; they have been observed at -35°C (-31°F). In cold water, blood is shunted inward as blood vessels in the skin constrict,…
What is the body temperature of a walrus?
A walrus’s core body temperature is about 36.6°C (97.9°F). There is a heat gradient throughout the blubber to the skin. The skin stays about 1° to 3°C (1.8° – 5.4°F) warmer than the water. From about -20° to 15°C (-4° – 59°F) a walrus’s metabolism doesn’t change, and the temperature doesn’t appear to affect the walrus’s behavior.
How are walruses social animals and what do they do?
Walruses are very social animals and congregate in large numbers. They haul out in herds and males and females form separate herds during the non-breeding season. They establish dominance through threat displays involving tusks, bodies and aggression.
What do walruses do with their tusks?
Walruses use their tusks in dominance displays and as weapons. A male will fight if another male intrudes upon him during a courtship display. These fights often result in physical injury.