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| Survival in the Arctic |
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The NATURE program TOOTHWALKERS: GIANTS OF THE ARCTIC ICE follows the
trail of wildlife filmmaker Adam Ravetch on his quest for some of the
first underwater walrus footage ever shot. But in
what kind of environment do the Arctic's creatures live?
The vast arctic region is perhaps the last place
that would make most people feel "on top of the world," yet
that's exactly where it is. Some 2.9 million square miles of polar desert,
tundra, and ice surround the North Pole within what we call the Arctic
Circle. Of course, that acreage changes with the seasons as ice floes
melt in the warmer summer months, and then freeze again during the winter.
Anyone who lives here must be prepared for extreme cold-weather conditions:
temperatures plummet to -40 degrees Fahrenheit and winds rage at 25
miles per hour. To survive the polar winter, walruses have a three-inch
blubber layer just beneath the skin. This fatty lining also acts as
an energy bank for a lean feeding season.
While they look lethargic and clumsy on land,
walruses are spry and fast in the water, averaging four to six miles
per hour -- much faster than humans can swim. Like sea lions, seals,
and other pinnipeds (Latin for "fin-footed"), these "sea
cows" have long, cone-shaped bodies streamlined for swimming. Their
scientific family name, Odobenidae, is Latin for "those
that walk with teeth," and refers to the way these beasts use their
tusks to haul out onto ice floes. Both males and females have these
giant teeth, but only the males use them to fight for dominance within
the herd. Walrus herds can number in the hundreds, and it is important
for males to firmly establish their place in the pecking order by jousting,
or lunging at each other with their tusks. Otherwise, the tusks serve
as ice picks for movement and defense from marine predators.
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