Amazing Animals: Walrus Quiz

Walruses are a part of the Pinnipedia order, which also includes seals and sea lions.

Although clumsy on land, walruses can reach speeds of up to 21.7 mph (35 kph) in the water.

A grown walrus can consume 3,000 to 6,000 clams in one sitting.

Despite the fact that walruses lose body heat 27 times faster in water than on land, they manage to maintain a core body temperature of 97.9 degrees Fahrenheit (36.6 degrees Celsius).

Walrus whiskers, known as vibrissae, are highly sensitive. Walruses possess anywhere from 400 to 700 whiskers in 13 to 15 rows around the nose.

The two, long upper canines can reach a length of 3 feet (0.91 meters) and weigh 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms).

Walruses primarily use their tusks as tools for establishing dominance, but they also use tusks to haul themselves out of the water, to break breathing holes in the ice when underwater and to hook into the ice in order to take a break from swimming.

Pharyngeal muscles, which can hold up to 13 gallons (49 liters) of air, enable walruses to float in the water in a vertical position while nursing and sleeping.

The thick layer of body fat, or blubber, under the skin can be up to 3.9 inches (10 centimeters) thick and, in the winter, may comprise up to a third of the animal's weight.

Females mate only once every two years due to their long gestation period of 15 months. They give birth in the water when they migrate north between mid-April and mid-June.