Odobenus rosmarus

Conservation status

Vulnerable

Walruses live on floes of Arctic sea ice around the North Pole — a habitat which is under threat, as the ice is rapidly disappearing as a result of climate change. In some areas, if no ice is available, these heavyweight giants are forced to crowd onto shorelines by the tens of thousands. In such huge groups, there is a risk of fatal stampedes. Though walruses may prey on other seals, they mainly feed on bivalve molluscs and sea snails — devouring thousands at a time. The females leave the herd shortly before giving birth and rear the young alone.