Marine Biologist Shares Fun Facts About Walruses Feet Most People Don’t Know
Did you know that walrus have feet? I was shocked when I found this video that marine biologist and animal behavior expert KP shared at the end of January 2024 explaining facts about walrus feet. I guess I thought they just had a tail like a dolphin!
As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who didn't know. So KP decided to share some facts about their feet, and it was pretty interesting. Watch until the end because for as big as their feet are, they sure have tiny little toenails!
They say you learn something new every day, and that is certainly the case here! I was blown away to learn that they have toes, ankles, knees, and of course, little toenails. I guess this is proof that you don't know what you don't know! @KP's commenters left some funny responses to this news. @Bevan Nigh shared, "In another universe a walrus biologist is saying that human legs are actually very long flippers." @Crepe Crochet made me laugh with, "The nails were a lot to take in I'm not gonna lie." and @watermelonrobot almost made me spit out my soda, "Looks like a large man in a weird suit doing the worm. Does he do any other break dance moves or just the one?" @AmberGuesa admitted, "Walruses have NAILS?! I’m an Animal Scientist and didn’t know that."
Related: Lost Baby Walrus in Alaska Who's Getting 'Cuddle Therapy' Has Captured Everyone's Hearts
Fun Facts About Walruses
It's clear that a lot of people were blown away by the marine biologist's news about walrus feet, so I thought I'd see what else I could find out about them.
Here's another fun fact: The official scientific name for 'walrus' is ‘Odobenus rosmarus’, which is Latin for ‘tooth-walking sea-horse'. I think that describes a walrus pretty accurately!
Walruses' tusks are very handy. They help break through snow and ice and help them lug their huge bodies (they can weigh up to 3 thousand pounds!) and all of that blubber out of the water. And speaking of blubber, that has a job too. It helps them stay insulated in waters as cold as -30 degrees!
Walruses can nap in the water thanks to built-in pillows that they have. They have air sacs in their throats that they can inflate, which keep them safe from drowning as they snooze.
Another surprising fact is that even though for as big as they are, they're speedy swimmers and can swim 20+ miles per hour. This comes in handy when trying to get away from one of only two predators that they have, the Orca. Any guesses at the other predator? The Polar Bear.
It's always fun to learn random facts about animals, and I can't wait to tell my kids that walruses not only have feet, but that they have toenails, too!
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