Walrus is one of the amazing creatures found all over the edge of the Arctic ocean. These are huge mammals known for their 2 long canine teeth. Well, they live in cold regions so they must have an inbuilt mechanism to keep their body warm but still, it made me wonder whether walrus have fur. If you have the same question popping in your head here is the answer.
So, do walrus have fur? Yes, walrus has short fur covering almost whole body except for the fins. Walruses have large flabby bodies to keep them warm and also keeps them well fed during the migration when glaciers melt.
Walruses generally look bald from a distance exposing their pinkish and brownish skin. This generally arouses a doubt in our mind regarding the fur on their body. It is due to the fur being very short and sparsely located. Therefore due to the lack of fur density, the body of walrus appears to be bald.
Walruses Have Sparsely Scattered Fur
Walruses are semiaquatic marine mammals that belong to the family of large pinnipeds. These pinnipeds are expert swimmers and they have to migrate up to long distances at the time of glaciers melting. At this time, they go on an expedition in the sea to find a perfect beach to spend their time on. This made their body to adapt accordingly.
In order to swim up to long distances, the walruses need a streamlined body and minimum fur to avoid the reduction in their speed in the sea. Interestingly, on fins, the fur is totally absent for this very reason. Due to it, walruses have short and sparsely scattered fur over the body.
Color of Walruses Fur
Walruses fur is typically brown in color but shades of brown vary from walrus to walrus. Pacific walrus generally have light brown fur spread over their body whereas Atlantic walrus have more reddish-brown fur. Laptev walrus generally have more blackish-brown fur. Irrespective of fur color they all appear whitish when swimming in the sea.
Related Questions
Do walrus lay eggs? No, female walrus do not lay eggs. Instead, After a gestation of 14 to 15 months, it gives birth to a young one (very rarely 2) in the migration season. The baby walrus is known as a calf. It can weigh anywhere between 50 to 70 kg at birth.
Can walrus breathe underwater? No, walruses can’t breathe underwater. This is why a walrus come back to the surface to breathe after being submerged for every 10 minutes.
How long do walruses sleep? Walruses can sleep continuously for around 20 hours but they aren’t required to sleep every day. They can continuously swim without sleep up to 3 days during migration. Walruses can sleep even in the water. They hang themselves from floating ice using their tusks and then go to sleep so they don’t get drowned.