Figure - available from: BMC Zoology
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Ultrasound images during false pregnancy (FP) in a walrus. A Corpora luteal (round headed line) of false pregnancy shown within dotted crossed lines. The border of the ovary is highlighted by white arrows. B Fluid identified within the uterine horn — dilated to 10.2 cm of a FP walrus. The uterine horn is outlined by 3 white and 1 black arrows
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Background:
Pacific walruses are found in Arctic regions of the Chukchi and Bering Sea where rapid changes in environmental conditions resulting in loss of sea ice are occurring. Therefore, accurate life history data are crucial for species management plans and longitudinal data collected over the lives of individual walruses housed in zoos and aq...
Citations
In July 2022, a vagrant female Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) was seen on the south coast of Finland. The same individual, which was called ’Stena’ in the international press, had previously been observed in the waters of several other European countries along the North and Baltic Seas. By the time the animal reached Finnish waters it was in poor condition and did not survive a rescue attempt. Post-mortem investigation revealed that the animal was malnourished and its digestive tract was almost empty, but trace amounts of DNA from bivalves and other aquatic invertebrates could be recovered. However, apart from minor age-related ailment and superficial skin wounds, the walrus showed no obvious signs of illness or injuries. Dental wear suggested that the animal was at least 20 years old. Its body and cranial measurements, including tusk length, were well above the average size for a female Atlantic walrus. Mitochondrial DNA supported its origin in the eastern Barents Sea populations. The specimen was mounted and put on display in the
Natural History Museum, Helsinki. This is the first confirmed free-ranging walrus observation in the northern part of the Baltic Sea and Finland.
