A walrus swims in the water outside of Iqaluit. Jomie Mike photo

Walrus - The mustached and long-tusked walrus is most often found near the Arctic Circle, lying on the ice with hundreds of companions. These marine mammals are extremely sociable, prone to loudly bellowing and snorting at one another, but are aggressive during mating season. With wrinkled brown and pink hides, walruses are distinguished by their long white tusks, grizzly whiskers, flat flipper, and bodies full of blubber.

They use their iconic long tusks to haul their enormous bodies out of frigid waters, thus their "tooth-walking" label, and to break breathing holes into ice from below. Their tusks, which are found on both males and females, can extend to about three feet (one meter), and are, in fact, large canine teeth, which grow throughout their lives. Male walruses, or bulls, also employ their tusks aggressively to maintain territory and, during mating season, to protect their harems of females, or cows. The longer the walrus tusk is the more important their rank in their group

Bulls are 10-12 ft.and weigh 2 tons., Cows are 8-9 ft. and over a ton. The males continue growing until they are 14 or 15. Most walrus don't die from old age but from hunting but some will live to be 35 in the wild.

Their diet is clams, snails, crabs, shrimp and worms. The walrus have big whiskers. They use their whiskers to feel around until they find food. Then they blow to get the food loose or to make it move so they can get it. They need it to move because they can't get to it because of their tusks. Walrus mainly eat bottom-dwelling invertebrates. This would be things like clams, snails, crabs, shrimp and worms.

The walrus' skin is very wrinkly. These wrinkles are like armor and protect the walrus when they "joust" with other males. Their thick skin also helps protect them from all predators except the orca whale, polar bear, and man.