Why Walruses Are This Marine Biologist's Favorite Animal
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- #walrus #marinebiology #kpassionate
I'm a marine biologist who has worked hands on with walruses. I'll answer the most common questions about these incredible Arctic animals and share why they are my favorite animal of all time.
00:00 - Are Walruses Real?
01:12 - Where Do Walruses Live?
01:41 - Why Do Walruses Have Tusks?
02:22 - Do Female Walrus Have Tusks?
03:13 - Do Walrus Tusks Break?
04:26 - What Are Whiskers For?
05:14 - What Do Walrus Whiskers Feel Like?
05:50 - Walrus Vocalizations
06:24 - Walrus Whistle Explained
07:05 - More Walrus Facts
Walruses are agile swimmers who can dive up to 300 feet, or around 90 meters, and they can reach speeds of 22 mph (km/h). But on land… well, in this video you can see the effect gravity has on their bulk and the effort it takes just to lumber around. Adult male walruses average around 4,000 pounds. That’s the average weight of a modern sedan. Or 40 bags of cement.
Learn why marine mammals, like walruses, grow to be so big: • Why Are Marine Mammals...
Walruses are pinnipeds. Which is a sub-order of carnivores that includes seals and sea lions. And they do share a lot of similarities with their genetic cousins. Like flippers and whiskers. But unlike seals and sea lions, who live near some densely populated places like California. Walruses live exclusively in the Arctic where they play an important role in the religion, folklore, and culture of many indigenous peoples. However, this extreme northern habitat also means it is extremely unlikely for the rest of the world to ever see a walrus.
Walrus tusks, just like the tusks on an elephant, are modified teeth. In walruses, they are their upper maxillary canines. Walruses also have other teeth such as premolars, molars, and incisors. Which you can see here. We’ll get to them in a moment but for now let’s focus on their tusks. Because tusks are different from the rest of their teeth in several ways. For one, they constantly grow throughout their lives. Second, they’re not used for eating.
Both male and female walruses have tusks and they use them to climb out of the water and onto the Arctic ice flows. Sort of like built in ice picks. Because walruses are big and it’s not easy pulling their huge bodies out of the water. They’re even named after this behavior. The scientific name for walruses, odobenus rosmarus, means “tooth walking sea horse.”
Unlike the rest of their teeth, walrus tusks lack protective enamel. This makes them vulnerable to cracking, chipping, and breaking. Especially in the wild. Because of sinking sea ice, it’s becoming more and more common for walruses to haul out on land and rocky beaches which are far less forgiving than ice. A damaged tusk can lead to a life threatening infection because the roots of a tusk grow deep into the sinuses and very near to the brain.
There are two main subspecies of walruses, Atlantic and Pacific, both of which you can see in this video. Balzak is a Pacific walrus and is quite noticeably bigger than his half-sister Lakina. Lakina's mom was an Atlantic walrus who are smaller than the Pacific subspecies. Both walruses were born at the Aquarium du Quebec back in 2016.
[1] www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...
[2] www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...
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Several people have asked if I get any backlash for training the animals under my care. I address that here: ua-cam.com/video/x-r6nFNDops/v-deo.html
Ah, so human males take after walrus by whistling! 😆
They are fascinating creatures....walruses. Balzak seems like such a gentle giant!
I read somewhere than sea lions are a distant cousin of dogs. These creatures are intelligent and recognize friendship.
@@wanaraz umm not super closely related to dogs no. Their closest land relative is bears actually 😂
@@KPassionate I just looked it up and no they are not close but maybe thousands of years ag they were somehow connected.
Are seal lions related to dogs?Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses and sea lions) are also assigned to this group.
@@wanaraz yes they are related to dogs, but they are more closely related to bears than they are to dogs. They split from the other “caniformes” about 50 million years ago not a couple thousand years ago, so they aren’t that closely related, their closest modern relatives are thought to be musteloids like weasels, raccoons, skunks, Etc.
I never knew they could dig with their whiskers.
Oh my god... THEY'RE USING THEIR WHISKERS AS WHISKERS
It's weird to think there's people out there who've never heard of a walrus
I thought so too!
You had better listen to John Lennon, Beatles, called, I am the Walrus
Hopefully, you have heard of The Beatles, and John Lennon, and their beautiful song, I am the Walrus
*raises my hand* I would like to hear you talk for hours about walruses,! I am so enchanted by them you have engendered in me a newfound appreciation
This was so so SO interesting! I didn't know they had such a wide range of vocalisations, or that they could move their whiskers! Such cool creatures.
They are so bizarre! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you.
I love looking at sea mammals eyes. The way they wrinkle up when they're vocalizing looks so soft. Walrus' look especially gentle.
Also, I've never seen a more literal definition of hoovering food lol. Cute moustached vacuum cleaners!! I think I'll have to call what otters do Hulk smashing, now.
I was fascinated to learn they have fur in summer and shed for winter….so counterintuitive! Thank you, I thoroughly enjoy your videos: so great to have accurate information but entertaining at the same time.
Thank you! That is wonderful feedback ❤️
Walruses are my favorite animal too!!!!
I would never have guessed! 😂
I recently went to Point Defiance and got to see Balzak and Lakina in person with my family. It was an amazing experience, and it was shocking to see how absolutely massive they were. I mean, I knew they were big, but seeing them on a screen does NOT do their size justice. These adorable and beautiful animals are my favorite animals.
And just think! They are still tiny! Balzak will easily get to be twice his current size.
@@KPassionate It's insane to think how absolutely massive some animals grow.
There's one some where that is huge an known to be a grumpy git an regularly attacks cars an it makes the car look tiny
I think that’s an elephant seal
I LOVE listening to you talk about these wonderful creatures you have the privilege of working with. It's so obvious how much you love your work in your excitement when you talk about it. Thanks so much for sharing this part of your life.
Thanks for watching!
❤
I loved it when she talked about them having 500 whiskers and Balzac went "Wooooo" He's super proud of that. 😂
Really? They thought you'd CGI these lovely marine creatures when you've been working with them for decades now 😂 congrats on the 174k (and counting), KP! ❤
Thank you!!!
Just discovered the channel. I see why it’s blowing up. I am subbed and looking forward to many more videos.👍🏻🇺🇸
Awww thank you! And welcome in
I wish I got to hug walruses like you do.
I would definitely watch you talk for hours about walruses!
You are in luck!!!! I'm sure there will be many more videos in the future lol
My favorite part of your videos is bloopers at the end. I love marine biology and you are a great lecturer, but the bloopers are just best!
Hahaha I’m glad you enjoy me falling over my own words!
It really shows how much you love walruses and training with Balzac. I never knew this much about them, especially their whisker useage! How much verbal communication do they do with other walruses in the wild?
Lots! Vocals and pushing and shoving are their main communication 😂
How did it take you this long to make a walrus video?! They're super interesting animals, so I can see why you love them.
Hahaha well it helps that I am working with them more and have more footage now.
We are definitely amazing and majestic.
I grew up on a lake in south Florida in the 50s and 60s. We had seacows (manatees). Watching your vid on walruses reminded me of the seacows. Minus the tusks of course. They would swim up to us in a row boat, turn over on their backs so we could rub their bellies.
Your vid on walruses is the most I have seen of these creatures. Very cool.
Love how their whiskers look like a mustache. Happy you got to be there for his first whistle.
Very thorough and pitched at the perfect level. Excellent explanations and accompanying videos to demonstrate the explanations. More like this please and more about walruses! Thanks!
I am absolutely obsessed with walruses! I’m so glad I found this video! Thanks for bringing a bit of walrus into all of our lives ( :3=
You are most welcome! Thanks for watching. Much more on my channel already and even more to come!
Very cool they grow hair as a sunblock. I love the suction noises they make while eating. You're at 155k subscribes! 🎉 Congrats!
Thank you!
This is so interesting. Wow, thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
They have such expressive faces, I love them. Snort! Them whistling to get the ladies' attention is so funny. Glad Balzac managed to learn it, the process reminds me so much of us learning to.
He is perfect 😍
Yes, I would like to sign up for more walrus facts please
Lovely video. Much success and health to all.
You take great care of your animals.
Love that grill y'all got him. Seriously, your passion for these boys shines though.
Thank you!
@@KPassionate You're welcome. BTW, have you had a chance to look into those orca "attacks" on sailboats and the like?
@@mojrimibnharb4584 I think the more and more we intrude on orcas, the more likely attacks are. I believe it is inevitable that they will one day be fatal.
Completely FASCINATING! KP needs a TV special!! Who knew sunburn and Walrus could be in the same sentence. 😂 Thanks for sharing your passion and expertise. I'm learning so much!
Thanks for watching!!
That's a really cool guide! I learned a bunch on walruses, what beautiful creatures!
I bow down to all your effort raising this beautiful creature! 😍❤💘🙏
We are rather good looking, aren't we.
Another amazing video! I learned a lot about these amazing walruses! Thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge.
Thanks for watching!
So glad to see your channel growing. Wouldn't it be wonderful if kids could see you in school. They'd be a lot more interested in the marine world.
Balzac looked like he was really enjoying that oral exam.
Amazing animal.
Amazing. Thank you
would you think of doing this but for otters please
edit- hope you continue having great success
I’ve done several! Maybe we will do another in the future.
Miss your content on UA-cam. So glad to see this 😊
My content never stopped!
This was cool. I literally knew none of the stuff that was mentioned in this video.
Ah, the gentle walrus! My favorite arctic animal. I've been to the arctic but I spent all my time inland so I never got to see one, but some of my friends who do research up there are on alert to send me pics of any walrus they see when they're on research cruises
Cool! I would love to see a wild one.
I think it’s pretty impressive how well trained he was, dog like.
Good to see the success of your channel~
They are huge and awesome creatures~👍
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗
I love walrus face!!
He's an intelligent creature. Thank you for the explanation.
What a cool and informative video . Really cool animals. One question do they ever get violent or dangerous with humans???
They can be extremely dangerous! We are always very cautious. Walruses have killed people before.
@@KPassionate Wow really. Their so smart. I’m amazed you can teach it all these words. It seems to enjoy the human interaction, and the fish. Lol.
Incredible Thankyou for sharing!
AWESOME! You are so lucky! He's too darn cute! 😊❤ I'm in love with him from Boston so I can only imagine how much you love him! He's lucky to have you too! One question that's got my curiosity peeked... What does he smell like? Fish? Wet dog?
Another emazing video❤..
yes please this was great please more walrus content
I would happily listento you talk about walruses for hours
muito satisfatório encontrar um conteúdo tão completo e bem feito. muito carisma!! mais um fã!🇧🇷
As a supporter of this kind of research, I've recently been asked about a viral clip on Instagram of Balzak learning and practising the different sounds being taught to him. From this UA-cam video I was able to clearly explain things like why his tusks were capped and why he was learning these various sounds. I was able to properly justify why certain things in the clip were the way that they were in the comments section, but something that came up in my discussions was the releasing of these animals back into their natural habitat.
What warrants a Walrus being brought in and require training? And when does a Walrus at an Aquarium get released back into the wild?
He and his sister have never been in the ocean. They were born in a Canadian zoo. They have no chance of survival if they were released. Nor do I believe they would enjoy struggling for survival in the unforgiving ocean. Their current lifestyle is very pampered lol. Thanks for your advocacy and for a great question! It’s important to ask these things.
Hermoso video la vida es mu bonita con animales exóticos inteligentes gracias
When I understood what the tusks were made for some light came out of my room’s ceiling as I’m no longer ignorant ❤ loved the video and the great models posing in it
I now LOVE ❤ walruses now due to your enthusiasm! 😊
The Sputter 🤣🥰🥰🥰. I love him..
my favorite animal is walruses too!
Walruses are my favorite animal!
Omg same!
Thanks for the knowledge
There favourite are the Beatles and favourite song I am the walrus 😂
Maybe you can have Balzak narrate the walrus-language version of this video.
Lol
Thank you so very much for sharing him Im in love
You are so welcome
It's kind of worrying that some clowns claim things are "CGI" just because they've not seen them before, or they think they look odd. Have these people ever tried reading books/encyclopaedias etc? Or tried visiting a zoo or marine-life centre? Is the world's population stupidifying? (my own word)
interesting and what a wonderful creature 😍
I'm glad walruses are your favorite too! They're so cute...
Thank you.
@@CHUB.E.WALRUS You're welcome.
@@IchBinJager 💙
As a fellow marine biologist, walruses are rather unusual
They are incredibly unique! I agree
I cannot believe they put their teeth in ice like that.
so they do hoover up their food!
Big ol' water pup
3:58 Sir... Sir...
Walrus catcalling 😭
Kinda funny that some ppl think it's cgi
What are their personalities like? Balzak seems like he likes you beyond the yummy treats you dispense. Are they similar in temperament to any land mammal we're all familiar with? They give off a cow/dog aspect, but I admit that could come entirely from their appearance.
He does like me. I raised him during his formative years 😂. They are usually known for being quite unpredictable and cantankerous but Balzak and Lakina and usually quite good.
Are walruses entirely their own thing that parallel evolved the back flips that turn under like sea lions and fur seals, or did they branch off from a common ancestor awhile back? Obviously, they can't do the crazy mountain goat level climbing that some of the smaller fur seals and sea lions can do, but it looks to be structurally similar.
They share a common ancestor with seals and sea lions. But they branched off sometime ago from the rest of that family
Was that french language that you spoke towards the end, or was it Norwegian speech?🤔
French!
Very cool animal
I would love to work with wild animals. I bet its very rewarding
Thanks for watching! They are my fav obviously
So, you can talk about walruses for hours?
PLEASE DO!
Cool
Subscribed.
How do they live in California if their natural habitat is in the artic cold waters and air?
Chris from Michigan
french author, "honour the ballsack"
Who named that walrus Ballsack though? Because thats what Balzak means lol
The French. He was born in Quebec and named after the famous French author Honoré de Balzac.
Hi KP, love your content! I know you're probably tired of hearing about animals communicating through buttons but i recently discovered a very small channel called Mila the talking dog and I would like to hear your opinion about her because I'm honestly convinced that she can actually communicate at a pretty high level and i need to know if I'm tripping or not 😅
Oh lord. I don’t think I have the strength lol
@KPassionate lol I completely understand, but if you get the chance to check it out, I'd love to hear your opinion even if you don't make a full video. Thank you for taking the time to reply!
Gangsta gangsta gangsta grillz you know the rest
Was he rescued or taken?
They were born in human care at an aquarium in Quebec
Do they use their flippers to communicate?
They use their flippers for a lot of things! The only pinniped to use them to hold objects etc as well!
I am the walrus
I have got to know, what does a walrus' body feel like? Like if you hugged or pet one.
Cold and squishy 😂
Wow 😭💖💖
Can he chomp off a finger 🤞 during an examination 😳
How do people not know walruses exist?? I'm genuinely curious...
I was surprised too lol
Adorable
Nice CGI
Thank you Walrus now my favorite animal elephants second. Praise God for his wonderful creation. “ I am the walrus” - Beatles I love ❤️ that song. Always did. Fascinating life Praise the Lord JESUS Christ. Creator of heaven and earth 🌍 ❤️ you also.
I found out the answer so you don’t have to. The reason why they have the metal thing on their exterior teeth is this:
Unlike the rest of their teeth, walrus tusks lack protective enamel. This makes them vulnerable to cracking, chipping, and breaking. Especially in the wild. Because of sinking sea ice, it's becoming more and more common for walruses to haul out on land and rocky beaches which are far less forgiving than ice. A damaged tusk can lead to a life threatening infection because the roots of a tusk grow deep into the sinuses and very near to the brain.
Ha! Honestly, I've grown a little tired of this question and have resorted to cutting and pasting the answer. Thanks for noticing! And watching ;-)
I love walruses! :D
I have a plush walrus named wally and i do this silly voice for him. He likes coffee and calls it magic bean water ^^
My mom actually had a dream where he was a farmer lol. It was funny ^^
Why these ones you care for live in the zoo and not in the wild?
Depends. Some were rescued and some were born in zoos. None would survive in the wild and all are important ambassadors for their species
So fat yet so beautiful! I wish it was the case with me)
People who thinks is CGI😂🤦
59k more in 2 days CoNGRAGULATIONS man its hard ti get popular that quick on this platform:)