Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

Scattered in colonies across the Arctic Ocean, walruses are massive aquatic mammals with long tusks. Much of their mass is comprised of blubber that keeps them warm in their far northern environment, despite lacking much hair. It’s overall anatomy is quite odd in the sense that they can walk on all fours like a sea lion, yet they lack ears and swim like a seal - making classification of these animals a bit confusing for a while. However, it is now known that they are more closely related to the sea lions. 16th-century explorers in Scandinavia described walruses as gigantic, tusked beasts that lived on the shore, calling them “Ros marus piscis”. This led to their interpretation as giant sea monsters for a time. Male walruses are larger than the females with longer tusks that they use to fight other males for mates. They are an important check on bivalve species - their favorite food - in the Arctic, making them an important keystone species in their ecosystems. They can dive up to 500 m, but spend most of their time in shallow water.