Baby Walruses: No Tusks, But Lots Of Cute

When people think of walruses, the first thing they always think of is their tusks, which are actually elongated canine teeth that can grow to over 3 feet (1 meter) long. However, walruses also possess some of the most interesting whiskers in the animal kingdom; as they are actually mystacial vibrissae, which are apendages used for foraging; they’re supplied with blood and oxygen too, just like any other apendage. Baby walruses are born in May or June of ever year as a result of a process known as delayed implantation, in which the fertilized egg waits to drop inside the female no matter when she’s impregnated; this leads to the babies being born at the same time every year. The babies are born with their whiskers and “mustache”, but no tusks; they usually weigh about 100 pounds (45 kilograms). These babies are born with the ability to swim, but they will stay with their mothers and nurse for a long time after birth. During this time, the baby will spend a good amount of time either clutched to their mothers, or on their mothers’ back.