- Walruses are born in the spring or early summer.
- Females give birth to one large pup, which weighs between 26 and 36 kilograms (57 and 80 pounds).
- Pups are born with grey fur and stay close to their mothers while nursing.
Nursing and Weaning:
- Pups nurse for up to two years, but they start eating solid food, like clams, mussels, and snails, at a young age.
- By the time pups are weaned, they weigh around 180 kilograms (400 pounds).
Sub-Adult:
- Sub-adult walruses spend their time feeding, swimming, and playing in the water.
- They start forming small groups of their own age and gender at this stage.
Adult:
- Walruses are considered adults at about four or five years old.
- Males may grow up to three meters (9 feet) long and weigh over 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds).
- Females are smaller but can still reach lengths of over two meters (6.5 feet) and weights of over 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds).
Social Behavior:
- Walruses are highly social animals. They live in large herds that can number in the hundreds or thousands.
- These herds are typically made up of females and their young, with bulls forming their groups outside the breeding season.
Reproduction:
- Male walruses compete for females during the breeding season in winter and spring.
- They use their large tusks to fight, and the winner of the fight gains the right to mate with the female.
- Female walruses will typically give birth to a single pup every three years or so.
Life Span:
- Walruses have a lifespan of around 25 years in the wild, although some have been known to live longer.
- The main threats to walruses include hunting, climate change, and pollution.