Table of Contents
Do walruses give birth to live young?
Offspring. Female walruses give birth to their young, called calves, during their migration in the springtime. After a gestation of 15 to 16 months, the female will give birth to one calf.
How do walruses make babies?
Males will mate with multiple females in one mating season, while females only mate approximately every two years. This results in walruses having the lowest reproduction rate of all the pinnipeds. After the female gives birth, around April or May, the calf makes its way from the land or ice into the water.
Do walruses drink milk?
Walrus milk is about 30% fat, 5% to 10% protein, and 60% water. Milk is occasionally supplemented with a small amount of solid food as early as six months of age. Most calves nurse for about two years. Some calves have nursed even longer if the mother does not have a new calf.
How long does it take for a walrus to have a baby?
Walrus. The pregnancy lasts over a year, for about 15 months. Calving occurs during the spring migration (April through June) of the year following the impregnation. Calves weigh up to 75kg and are able to immediately swim. Mothers nurse their young for over a year and the young stay with their mothers for up to 5 years.
What do you need to know about the Walrus?
Eight final walrus facts: 1 Walruses spend about two thirds of their life in the water. 2 While underwater, walrus heart rates slow down so that they do not become too cold. 3 Odobenus rosmarus, the walrus binomial name, means “tooth-walking sea horse. 4 A walrus bellow can be heard over 1.5 km (.7 miles) away.
How many walruses are in a nursery herd?
These “nursery herds” usually include 20 to 50 individuals but may include as many as 200. A cow is extremely protective of her calf. She defends and protects her calf and may shelter it under her chest between her foreflippers. Calves often ride on their mothers’ backs in the water.
Why do walruses move away from the herd?
The walrus is a pinniped, which means “feather footed,” along with other members of the seal family. Female walruses move away from the herd to give birth. Nobody is sure exactly why, but it has been suggested it may be to move away from the collective walrus scent that attracts predators or perhaps to keep the calves from being crushed.