Odobenus

Odobenus is a genus of carnivorous marine mammals in the family Odobenidae. It encompasses the walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, the only living species in the genus. The group also includes several extinct species known from fossil records.

Walruses are large pinnipeds characterized by their long tusks, prominent whiskers, and a thick blubbery body. The front tusks, which can reach up to about a meter in males, are used for defense, dominance displays, and hauling the animal onto ice. They have no external ear flaps and show substantial sexual dimorphism, with males larger than females.

Odobenus rosmarus is distributed across circumpolar Arctic waters. There are two widely recognized subspecies: the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens) and the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus). The Pacific subspecies occupies the Bering Sea and northern Pacific shelf regions, while the Atlantic subspecies is found in Arctic waters off Greenland, Iceland, and the Barents Sea.

Walruses are social and highly vocal, typically gathered in large haul-out herds on ice or beaches. They feed mainly on benthic invertebrates such as clams, using their sensitive whiskers to locate prey and their lips to suck prey from the substrate. Reproduction is polygynous, with a lengthy gestation and delayed implantation; calves are born after about a year and nurse for many months.

Conservation status is influenced by climate change and ice loss, as well as human activities. The IUCN recognizes the species as Vulnerable, with regional populations facing different levels of threat. Protection and monitoring efforts are ongoing in many range states.