Why Does the Walrus Have Metal Caps On Its Tusks?

#walrus #shorts #kpassionate
Why does these walruses have metal caps on their tusks? This is a question I get all the time and recently, a guest revolutionized the way I am going to explain it. It's like horseshoes... for walruses. Just like horseshoes protect their hooves from damage, these caps protect the walrus' tusks from chipping, cracking or breaking.

Learn more about these incredible animals in my ultimate guide to walruses → https://youtu.be/Z3KmiKbq7Jo

Walrus tusks, which are found on both males and females, are actually large canine teeth which grow throughout their lives and can reach a meter in length! Walrus tusks don’t have a hard outer enamel layer like human teeth. And because walruses naturally rub their tusks, they can get worn down and allow bacteria to enter the tooth and cause infection and pain, which can have serious health side effects. That is why these walruses, Balzak and Lakina, have metal crowns on his tusks to prevent them from becoming worn down and susceptible to bacterial infection.

As big as they look, these walruses are only seven and still growing. They are still juvenile walruses! The larger male, Balzak, currently weighs 2,100 lbs or almost 1,000 kg. Adult male walruses can grow to be twice this size, weighing between 4,000 to 5,000 lbs or over 2,000 kg! That's also why their tusks are so short. Hopefully, the caps on their tusks will help them grow to over 3 feet or a meter in length!

Learn more about why marine mammals are so big here: https://youtu.be/YhqZCDSQ3rA

Balzak was born at the Aquarium du Quebec back in 2016 and I had the privilege of working with this handsome walrus for several years. During that time, Balzak participated in several important research projects into the metabolism of walruses and this information was used to enact laws and policies aimed at protecting his cousins in the wild.

Recently, Balzak and his sister Lakina have moved to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium where I now have the opportunity to work with him again after several years. He looks great and I can't wait to share more of him and his sister Lakina in the near future!

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent Metro Parks Tacoma’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

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