Does a walrus have any natural predators?

As they are very large, walruses have few natural predators, but polar bears and killer whales are known to occasionally attack them.

What are the 2 natural predators of walruses?

Because of their size and tusks, walruses only have two natural predators: orcas (killer whales) and polar bears. However, both predators prefer to attack easier prey like seals. Humans are historically the greatest hunter of the walrus.

What animal can beat a walrus?

Polar bears are able to seize and kill such weakened walruses. In this way, solitary polar bears are able to prey upon walruses by turning their herding instincts against them.

Do orcas prey on walruses?

Orcas hunt everything from fish to walruses, seals, sea lions, penguins, squid, sea turtles, sharks, and even other kinds of whales. Depending on the season and where they are, their diet varies—some orcas eat more fishes and squid than seals and penguins.

Can a walrus be friendly?

Walruses might be large animals, but they are very friendly and smart. Most of them are curious and won't attack you unless they feel threatened. While you still need to be cautious when around one, they generally leave humans alone.

Top facts about walrus | WWF

What is the lifespan of a walrus?

Males are mature at 8-10 years of age, but generally cannot successfully compete against older, larger males for females until they are 15 years old. Walruses may live up to 40 years. Unlike the other Alaskan pinnipeds, walruses mate in the water during the winter months (January-March).

Do walruses stab themselves?

As they approach the edge of an iceberg, which may be sticking out of the water a few inches or a few feet, the walrus throws its head back and stabs the surface with its tusks, using them to lever itself out of the water.

Are polar bears afraid of walruses?

In fact, an aggressive walrus can be dangerous for a polar bear in the water. There have been isolated observations of walruses attacking polar bears in the water, though it is unusual. In the water, too, walruses generally react to polar bears as to predators – they fear and avoid them.

Who would win a walrus or a polar bear?

A polar bear would win a fight against a walrus on land, but a walrus would kill the polar bear in the water. Polar bears are highly aggressive, powerful, and smart. They know that their best bet is to attack a weak or small walrus.

What are orcas afraid of?

Selbmann says that in the majority of the interactions documented around Iceland, killer whales seem to avoid pilot whales. Occasionally things will get heated and the pilot whales will chase the killer whales at high speeds, with both species porpoising out of the water.

Do walruses eat polar bears?

Dangerous prey. Normally, walrus are formidable prey even for a polar bear. They have often fatally wounded predatory polar bears with their tusks.

What would win polar bear vs grizzly?

Put more bluntly, when polar bears and grizzly bears are both competing for food, its the polar bears that are more likely to walk away from conflict and leave the prize for grizzly bears. The bottom line: in a fight between a polar bear and grizzly bear, the grizzly bear reigns supreme.

Can a human fight a walrus?

You would not be able to stand on a walrus long enough to stomp on its head. Walruses are huge. Adult male walruses weigh upwards of 2 tons. That is a tremendous amount of power and muscle.

Are walruses aggressive?

Walruses are the gentle giants of the Arctic. They are among the largest pinnipeds — fin-footed, semiaquatic marine mammals. However, while they have an intimidating size, and are carnivores, these animals are not aggressive.

Do sharks eat walruses?

Yes, some species of shark, like the great white, will eat a walrus. Sharks are predatory fish that belong to the suborder Selachimorpha.

Which is bigger walrus or elephant seal?

Elephant seals are bigger than even the largest male walrus. A male Pacific walrus weighs around 1,700 pounds while a male Atlantic walrus weighs around 2,000 pounds. While male elephant seals are often at least double that.

Do orcas eat polar bears?

PREY: The orca is at the top of the marine food web. Their diet items include fish, squid, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, otters, other whales and dolphins, polar bears and reptiles. They even have been seen killing and eating swimming moose.

Do walrus eat seals?

Walruses may eat the carcasses of young seals when food is scarce. There are some rare but habitual seal-eating walruses. Their diet consists mainly of ringed and bearded seals. These are usually male walruses, recognizable because they are usually larger than other males, with powerful shoulder and chest muscles.

What is the biggest walrus in the world?

This Atlantic walrus may have measured 12 feet long and weighed more than 3,000 pounds.

Do polar bears eat narwhals?

Polar bears use their sense of smell to detect a carcass from nearly 20 miles away. They will happily feed on the carcasses of beluga whales, grey whales, walruses, narwhals and bowhead whales when available.

What is a group of walruses called?

A group of walruses can also be called a 'herd' or a 'pod', but we like 'huddle' best. Walruses are most often found sunbathing on land or sea ice with hundreds of their companions. Walruses are very sociable creatures and even amass in their thousands in mating season.

What is a female walrus called?

Male walruses, or bulls, also employ their tusks aggressively to maintain territory and, during mating season, to protect their harems of females, or cows.

How long is a walrus pregnant?

Pregnancy and Birth

Baby walruses are born between April and June, around 14 to 16 months after mating. Not all of this time is devoted to true gestation, as females are able to delay the implantation of the embryo for up to four months so their young are all born close together.

Where do walruses sleep?

Marine Mammals

When walruses sleep in the water, they usually lie at the bottom, float along the surface, or lean against something while in a standing position. They can even hook their tusks onto an ice floe and sleep that way. Like elephants, walruses can go for days without sleep.