The Making of a Diorama
The Habitat Views video considers ways of looking at dioramas today, and documents the creation of several new displays. Take a look over on our YouTube Channel >
Recreating Nature Indoors
Ever wonder who made the dioramas in our mammal halls? Read all about the artists who created these wonderful scenes. Learn more >
First Fridays: Science is Sexy
Our latest installment of what might be L.A.’s hottest, smartest nighttime event starts January 4, 2013. Come have a cocktail, explore the Museum after hours, and get enlightened.
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Los Angeles is for Hikers
Get out and explore any of the 82 great hiking trails located right here in L.A. This guide book features short and long day hikes while keeping you close to home.
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Walrus
Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scene:
Drift ice, Bering Sea near Saint Lawrence Island, AlaskaSponsor:
Hugh H.LoganBackground artist:
Duncan Alanson Spencer (1911-1999)Walruses are among the strangest living mammals. They feed on animals that live on or in the sea floor. Their large tusks are used in fighting but also for cutting through ice, hooking over ice for stability while sleeping, and helping to pull its body out of the water. Walruses sometimes use their heads to break through ice up to 8 inches thick. The male walrus baculum (penis bone),may be up to 24 inches long.
Biological Information
Range:
Circum-polar: northeast coast of Siberia, northwest coast of Alaska, north and northwest coast of Greenland, and Ellesmere Island
Habitat:
Arctic Ocean near edge of polar ice
Status:
Populations small but not currently threatened
Diet:
Shellfish, echinoderms and crabs
Further information about this species may be found on the Animal Diversity Web page for walrus.