Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

Status: needs expert review. The global IUCN category for this species is contested across sources and across its subspecies (see Conservation status). Claims cite the IUCN Red List and U.S. wildlife agencies; a reviewer should confirm the current category and subspecies detail before approval. The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large Arctic eared-seal relative, unmistakable for its tusks and whiskered muzzle.

At a glance

Field	Value	Source
Scientific name	Odobenus rosmarus	WoRMS / authority
Guild	pinniped (odobenid — its own family)	—
IUCN status	Vulnerable at the species level (assessed 2016); subspecies assessments differ — see below	IUCN Red List
Subspecies	Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus) and Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens)	USFWS
U.S. jurisdiction	Managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, not NOAA Fisheries	NOAA Fisheries
Range	Circumpolar Arctic and subarctic seas	USFWS

Identification

Unmistakable among pinnipeds: a very large body, a broad muzzle dense with stiff whiskers (vibrissae), and long tusks (elongated canine teeth) present in both sexes, longer in males. Skin is thick and wrinkled, often appearing cinnamon-brown or pale pink when warm. Like eared seals, walruses can rotate their hind flippers forward to move on land, but they belong to their own family, Odobenidae. They gather in dense herds at haul-outs.

Ecology and behavior

Walruses are benthic foragers, using their sensitive whiskers to find clams, snails, mussels, and other seafloor invertebrates (NOAA Fisheries). They rest between foraging bouts on sea ice or, when ice is unavailable, on land, often in very large aggregations. Pacific walruses are harvested as a subsistence food resource by many Alaska Native communities (NOAA Fisheries). Behavioral specifics should be cited to published research and confirmed in review.

Conservation status and threats

The walrus's global status is genuinely contested and depends on the unit assessed. The IUCN Red List carries a 2016 species-level assessment of Odobenus rosmarus; the species-level category is recorded as Vulnerable in some compilations, while data limitations and differing subspecies assessments make the global picture uncertain — the population trend at the species level is not firmly established (IUCN Red List). At the subspecies level, assessments and national lists diverge (for example, differing treatments of the Atlantic and Pacific subspecies across IUCN and national authorities). This page therefore marks the core status claim contested and does not assert a single global number.

What is not contested is the direction of pressure: the dominant concern is loss of Arctic sea ice, which removes resting platforms over foraging grounds, can force large land haul-outs prone to stampede mortality, and is accompanied by increasing shipping disturbance and changes to benthic prey (NOAA Fisheries). A reviewer with Arctic-marine-mammal expertise should confirm the current IUCN category and subspecies specifics, citing the live assessment.

How to observe responsibly

Walrus haul-outs are easily and catastrophically disturbed: a sudden stampede toward the water can crush calves and weaker animals. Do not approach haul-outs by land, vessel, or aircraft; keep noise low and stay well back, following the strictest applicable regional guidance and Indigenous and agency protocols (ETHICS.md). U.S. walrus viewing falls under USFWS authority, not NOAA (NOAA Fisheries); follow that agency's guidance and any local community rules. This page keeps haul-out locations to regional granularity.

How you can help

• Never approach or overfly a walrus haul-out; report disturbance, strandings, or entanglements to the responsible agency (USFWS in Alaska) rather than intervening.
• Support Arctic sea-ice and climate action, the science behind it, and co-management with Indigenous communities who hold long-term knowledge of walrus.
• Log opportunistic sightings to a recognized citizen-science platform without approaching herds (see the iNaturalist dataset card).