The walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus ) is a large, seal-like marine mammal inhabiting Arctic seas and is the only living member of the family Odobenidae. Two subspecies exist: the Atlantic walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) and the Pacific walrus ( O. rosmarus divergens ). Walruses are easily recognized by their long tusks, which are actually extended canine teeth. They use these tusks for defense, dominance displays, and to anchor themselves to the sea floor while searching for food like clams. They also have a conspicuous moustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae). Walruses are gregarious, living in groups of 100 or more on coasts and ice shelves. They can rotate their hind flippers forward to move on land. They face threats from polar bears and killer whales, but are also hunted by humans for their blubber, hide, and ivory tusks.

Where do walruses live?

Walruses are huge, seal-like mammals inhabiting Arctic seas. The two subspecies include the Atlantic walrus and the Pacific walrus. They do not frequent deep water, instead inhabiting coasts and margins of ice shelves, where they periodically haul themselves onto beaches and ice floes to rest and bask. Walruses live in groups of around 100 or more. They can be found in the Chukchi Sea , part of the Arctic Ocean, and the northern sector of Hudson Bay .

What do walruses eat?

Walruses are marine mammals that feed at depths of less than 80 metres (260 feet), usually at 10–50 metres (30–160 feet). They root along the ocean floor with their snout, identifying prey with their whiskers. A walrus' diet consists largely of clams and mussels but occasionally includes fish and even small seals. While searching for clams, walruses use their tusks to temporarily anchor themselves to the bottom of the ocean in the muddy sand. Walruses are gregarious animals, living in groups sometimes numbering 100 or more. They are visual predators with sensitive whiskers that help them detect prey.

How can you tell a walrus from other marine mammals?

Walruses are pinnipeds, a group that also includes seals and sea lions . All pinnipeds have flippers and thick blubber layers, but walruses have unique characteristics that set them apart. The most obvious difference is their long ivory tusks. Both males and females have them, and they can reach about a meter in length. Walruses also have a conspicuous mustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae). Unlike seals and sea lions, walruses don't have external ear flaps. They are also much larger than most seals and sea lions, with males weighing up to 1,700 kg (3,700 pounds).

Why do walruses have long tusks and whiskers?

Walruses have long tusks and whiskers that serve various purposes. Tusks, which are extended canine teeth, are used for defense, fighting, and mating displays. Walruses also temporarily anchor themselves to the ocean floor with their tusks while searching for food. They are not used to dig for food. Their stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae) are highly sensitive and used to detect prey, such as clams and mussels, on the ocean floor.

How are walruses affected by changes in sea ice and the environment?

Walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus ) rely on sea ice for resting, breeding, and accessing food sources. Changes in sea ice extent and thickness due to climate change can significantly impact walrus populations. The reduction of ice cover can lead to habitat loss, forcing walruses to haul out on land in large numbers, which can cause overcrowding and increase the risk of stampedes. Alterations in ice dynamics can also affect prey availability, potentially disrupting their feeding habits, which primarily consist of clams and mussels.

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Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus).

How polar bears survive in the Russian Arctic

Illustration showing a hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) mostly submerged with eyes and nose above water, a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) resting on ice, and a common pochard duck (Aythya ferina) standing on land with webbed feet visible.

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Also called:: morse

Related Topics:: tusk; marine mammal; Atlantic walrus; Pacific walrus

On the Web:: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Feeding behaviour of free-ranging walruses with notes on apparent dextrality of flipper use (Nov. 01, 2026)

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walrus

mammal

Also known as: Odobenus rosmarus, morse

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 1, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a walrus?
The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large, seal-like marine mammal inhabiting Arctic seas and is the only living member of the family Odobenidae. Two subspecies exist: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens).

Walruses are easily recognized by their long tusks, which are actually extended canine teeth. They use these tusks for defense, dominance displays, and to anchor themselves to the sea floor while searching for food like clams. They also have a conspicuous moustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae).

Walruses are gregarious, living in groups of 100 or more on coasts and ice shelves. They can rotate their hind flippers forward to move on land. They face threats from polar bears and killer whales, but are also hunted by humans for their blubber, hide, and ivory tusks.
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Where do walruses live?
Walruses are huge, seal-like mammals inhabiting Arctic seas. The two subspecies include the Atlantic walrus and the Pacific walrus. They do not frequent deep water, instead inhabiting coasts and margins of ice shelves, where they periodically haul themselves onto beaches and ice floes to rest and bask.

Walruses live in groups of around 100 or more. They can be found in the Chukchi Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, and the northern sector of Hudson Bay.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do walruses eat?
Walruses are marine mammals that feed at depths of less than 80 metres (260 feet), usually at 10–50 metres (30–160 feet). They root along the ocean floor with their snout, identifying prey with their whiskers. A walrus' diet consists largely of clams and mussels but occasionally includes fish and even small seals. While searching for clams, walruses use their tusks to temporarily anchor themselves to the bottom of the ocean in the muddy sand.

Walruses are gregarious animals, living in groups sometimes numbering 100 or more. They are visual predators with sensitive whiskers that help them detect prey.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How can you tell a walrus from other marine mammals?
Walruses are pinnipeds, a group that also includes seals and sea lions. All pinnipeds have flippers and thick blubber layers, but walruses have unique characteristics that set them apart.

The most obvious difference is their long ivory tusks. Both males and females have them, and they can reach about a meter in length. Walruses also have a conspicuous mustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae). Unlike seals and sea lions, walruses don't have external ear flaps. They are also much larger than most seals and sea lions, with males weighing up to 1,700 kg (3,700 pounds).
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why do walruses have long tusks and whiskers?
Walruses have long tusks and whiskers that serve various purposes. Tusks, which are extended canine teeth, are used for defense, fighting, and mating displays. Walruses also temporarily anchor themselves to the ocean floor with their tusks while searching for food. They are not used to dig for food.

Their stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae) are highly sensitive and used to detect prey, such as clams and mussels, on the ocean floor.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are walruses affected by changes in sea ice and the environment?
Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) rely on sea ice for resting, breeding, and accessing food sources. Changes in sea ice extent and thickness due to climate change can significantly impact walrus populations.

The reduction of ice cover can lead to habitat loss, forcing walruses to haul out on land in large numbers, which can cause overcrowding and increase the risk of stampedes. Alterations in ice dynamics can also affect prey availability, potentially disrupting their feeding habits, which primarily consist of clams and mussels.
2 Britannica Sources
1. walrus
2. sea ice: The emerging impacts of recent changes to sea ice
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

walrus, (Odobenus rosmarus), huge, seal-like mammal found in Arctic seas. There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens). Male Pacific walrus are slightly larger, with longer tusks.

The grayish skin of the walrus is 2–4 cm (1–2 inches) thick, with deep folds around the shoulders. The skin is covered with short reddish hair, giving the animals an overall cinnamon colour. The walrus has a rounded head, small eyes, and no external ears. Its muzzle is short and broad and has a conspicuous moustache of stiff, quill-like whiskers (vibrissae). The male, which reaches a maximum length and weight of about 3.7 metres (12 feet) and 1,700 kg (3,700 pounds), is about a third larger than the female.

Both sexes possess long tusks (the upper canine teeth) that project downward from the mouth. In the male they can grow to about a metre in length and 5.4 kg (12 pounds) in weight. The tusks function mainly in mating display and in defense against other walrus. They are not used to dig food from the ocean floor. The walrus feeds at depths of less than 80 metres (260 feet), usually at 10–50 metres (30–160 feet). Rooting along the ocean floor with its snout, it identifies prey with its whiskers. The walrus’s diet consists largely of clams and mussels but occasionally includes fish and even small seals.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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The walrus is a gregarious animal, living in groups sometimes numbering 100 or more. It does not frequent deep water, instead inhabiting coasts and margins of ice shelves, where it periodically hauls itself onto beaches and ice floes to rest and bask. Like the sea lion and fur seal (family Otariidae), the walrus can turn its hind flippers forward under its body when on land and can thus crawl using all four limbs. Males mate with multiple females in winter. Dominance is established among males according to body and tusk size. They display by showing their tusks and making clicking and bell-like sounds underwater. When a female is attracted, she joins the male, and mating occurs underwater. Delayed implantation of the fertilized egg results in a total gestation of 15–16 months. The single walrus pup weighs about 60 kg (130 pounds) at birth and remains with the female for two to three years. Sexual maturity occurs at six to seven years of age in females, eight to ten years in males. In the wild, walrus can live slightly more than 40 years. On rare occasions they are killed by polar bears or killer whales.

The walrus is valued by both the Inuit and commercial hunters for blubber, hide, and ivory tusks. Its numbers have been reduced by commercial operations. Walrus are now protected from sealers but are still subject to subsistence hunting by aboriginals. Like seals, the walrus is a pinniped. It is the sole living member of the family Odobenidae.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.

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