Morsas

Morsas, or walruses in English, are large marine mammals belonging to the family Odobenidae. They are the only living species in this family, Odobenus rosmarus, with two widely recognized subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens).

Walruses have a stocky, whiskered body covered with thick blubber and rough brown skin. They are notable for their long tusks, which can grow up to a meter and are used for defense, dominance displays, and hauling themselves out of the water onto ice or land. Adults are much larger than calves; males are usually bigger than females.

Their range covers the Arctic and subarctic seas of the North Atlantic and North Pacific. They depend on sea ice for resting, giving birth, and molting, and they travel between ice floes and coastal areas, forming large haul-out congregations when ice is present.

Walruses are benthic feeders that primarily eat mollusks, especially clams. They locate prey with their sensitive whiskers and extract it from the sediment using suction. They can dive deeply and stay submerged for several minutes during foraging.

Reproduction occurs in social groups with polygynous mating. Females give birth to one calf after a long gestation, with calves nursing for a year or more. Maturity occurs at several years of age, and adults endure long lifespans in the wild.

Conservation status is generally listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, largely due to climate change and loss of sea ice that reduces habitat and access to feeding areas. Other threats include subsistence hunting, shipping, and industrial development in Arctic regions.