Walrus are notorious for being tall and heavy marine mammals
An adult walrus typically weighs between 800kg and 1700kg and can reach a length of 12 feet
Of the two subspecies, Pacific walruses are heavier and taller than Atlantic walruses and males are much heavier than females
How do men and women compare and how does this compare to humans?
Read on to find out or check out our full list of 16 interesting facts about walruses to learn more about these iconic marine mammals
In general, the size and weight of a walrus depends on the sex and which subspecies it also belongs to
Adult male walruses are heavier than adult females, while Pacific walruses are generally heavier than Atlantic walruses1 (source: FH Fay “Odobenus rosmarus”
Adult male Pacific walruses weigh between 800 and 1,700 kg (1,800 and 3700 lb) on average2 (source: GL Wood, The Guinness book of animal facts and feats, 1986)
Adult female Pacific walruses weigh less than males, averaging 800 kg (1,800 lb)3 (source: University of Michigan)
As for the other subspecies, adult male Atlantic walruses are typically 10-20% lighter than their Pacific walrus counterparts4 (source: FH Fay “Odobenus rosmarus”
Male Atlantic walruses weigh an average of 900 kg (2,000 lb) compared to females who weigh an average of 560 kg (1,230 lb)5 (source: University of Michigan)
Walruses are fat so they can stay warm and survive the cold temperature of the arctic and sub-arctic regions where they live
Walruses store most of their body fat as blubber, which is a thick layer just under their skin
Remember, walruses are mammals which means they are warm blooded
In general, the blubber of a walrus accounts for a third of its total body mass – this is particularly visible during the winter months6 (source: Wikipedia)
Walruses are very large marine mammals
As with weight, size depends on sex and subspecies
Pacific walruses are slightly larger than Atlantic walruses and adult males are larger than adult females of the same subspecies
An adult male Pacific walrus reaches 27 to 36 m (9–12 ft), compared to adult females who reach 23 to 31 m (75–10 ft)
Meanwhile, an adult male Atlantic walrus reaches 24 m (8 ft)7 (source: Seaworld)
How big is a Walrus compared to a Human?
Walruses are much larger than humans
However, walruses and humans are similar in that males are generally larger than females8 (source: Health Line)
Walruses are much heavier than humans
The average adult male human in the United States weighs about 90 kg (198 lb) while an adult male Pacific walrus weighs 800 – 1700kg (1,800 – 3700 lb)
This means that walruses can be about 19 times heavier than humans
Walruses are also much larger than humans in size
The average height of an adult male in the United States is about 1618 cm (5 ft 9 in) while an adult male Pacific walrus reaches 27 to 36 m (9-12 ft)
If an average male human were to lie down next to a Pacific walrus, it would be about twice that
How big is the biggest Walrus?
The largest walruses tend to be adult males from the Pacific subspecies
Two recordings of male walruses from 1909 and 1910 put the specimens at around 2,300 kg (5,000 lb)
However, these body mass calculations were taken using only the skin (the skin of the animal) and then estimated the total weight on the basis that the skin is typically 20% of the weight its total9 (source: University of Michigan)
Odin holds the record as the largest living walrus at around 1700kg (3,700lbs)
He is a captive walrus, originally from a zoo in Moscow and now living in a zoo in Germany10 (source: Daily Mail)
How big is a Baby Walrus?
As you might expect, baby walruses are quite large compared to other mammals
An average walrus at birth typically weighs 33 to 85 kg (73 to 187 lb)
In contrast to the weight of adult walruses, there is no significant difference in the weight of walrus calves between the two subspecies11 (sources: IUCN and University of Michigan)
The size of a baby walrus is typically between 1 to 14 m (3ft 3 inches to 4ft 7 inches)12 (source: IUCN)
For Pacific walruses, males and females mature sexually at different rates
Female walruses mature in 6-7 years, while adult males take 8-10 years to mature
When walruses become independent, they typically weigh about 240kg (750 lbs)13 (source: Alaska Department for Fish and Game)
While in the water, the back flippers propel them forward, allowing them to reach speeds of up to 35km/h (22mph)
Walruses are perceived to be very strong due to their heavy weight, high height, and large tusks14 (source: Seaworld)
Another example of the strength of the walrus is how it can capsize ships15 (source: The Polar Bear Programme)
Walrus bone is also much stronger than seal bone16 (source: E
How big are walrus tusks?
Walrus tusks can be over 90 cm (353 in) long
Although adult male walrus tusks tend to be longer and straighter, adult female tusks can grow up to 80 cm (314 in)17 (source: National Geographic)
Also, as seen particularly in Pacific walruses, adult males have heavier tusks on average than females18 (source: FH Fay, North American Fauna, Vol 74, No 74, pp1–279 , 1982)
A single adult male walrus tusk can weigh up to 4 kg19 (source: RA Kastelein, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (2nd ed), pp1212-1217, 2009)
How Big is a Walrus Brain?
A walrus brain has been measured to weigh between 102 and 1126 kg
This is slightly lighter than an adult human brain which is between 13 and 14 kg20 (source: Washington University)
How big is a Weiner Walrus?
Male walruses have a baculum, this is a bone found in the penis of some mammals
Walruses have a baculum that can reach about 55cm (22 in)21 (source: L
How Long Can Walruses Live?
Walruses can live up to 40 years22 (source: Alaska Department for Fish and Game)