Walrus
The walrus is a large Arctic pinniped and the sole living member of the family Odobenidae. Both sexes have elongated upper canine teeth called tusks.
Pinniped: A fin-footed marine mammal group comprising seals, sea lions, and walruses. Walruses belong to this group, alongside seals and sea lions.
Benthic feeding: Foraging on or near the bottom of a body of water. Walruses search the seafloor for clams and other invertebrates.
Arctic marine ecosystem: The interacting organisms and physical processes of the Arctic Ocean and its coastal seas. Walruses connect seafloor prey, sea ice, predators, and coastal habitats.
Arctic sea ice decline: The long-term reduction in the extent, thickness, and seasonal duration of Arctic sea ice. Less summer ice can force Pacific walruses to rest on land far from feeding grounds.
Earless seal: A pinniped in the family Phocidae, lacking external ear flaps. Unlike walruses, earless seals have no tusks and propel themselves mainly with hind flippers.
Odobenidae: The pinniped family containing the living walrus and its extinct relatives. This family identifies the walrus’s distinctive evolutionary branch.
Suction feeding: Feeding by drawing prey into the mouth through a pressure difference. Walruses can extract soft-bodied prey from shells by suction.
Bering Sea: A northern Pacific sea bordered by Alaska, Siberia, and the Aleutian Islands. A major portion of the Pacific walrus population depends on this region.
Climate change in the Arctic: The rapid climatic shifts affecting the Arctic region, including warming and changing ice conditions. Arctic warming alters the sea-ice habitat on which walruses depend.
Eared seal: A pinniped in the family Otariidae, including sea lions and fur seals. Eared seals use foreflippers for propulsion and have external ear flaps, unlike walruses.