In this A through Z animal podcast series, we begin the w's…with the amazing walrus found primarily in icy Arctic waters, they can withstand freezing temperatures as low as 95 degrees below zero. Wow. There are two main subspecies who live to be around 40 years old, and a male walrus can actually weigh more than a ton. Overall, walruses symbolize many things, including ancient knowledge, seeing the bigger picture, nourishing others strength and positive motherhood. Shamans believe that the walrus spirit is the keeper of ancient knowledge and wisdom. Both male and female walruses grow long tusks which helped them adapt better to their Arctic life. They often use them like ski poles to dig into sand, snow and ice to help them haul their enormous bodies out of the freezing ocean waters. Their Tusks are also used during swimming to cut holes in the ice so that they can come up for a breath. These massive animals need thick layers of blubber to stay insulated. All that fat protects them from the cold. A baby walrus can weigh as much as an average size human. Those chunky little critters are called calves and they stay with their mother, a cow, until they are about two years old. Walruses eat shellfish like clams that they grabbed from the ocean floor, along with mussels, sea cucumbers and some fish. They have very sensitive whiskers that help them detect food. Once they've spotted their prey, they're surprisingly speedy swimmers. Another surprising fact about walruses is that they can sleep underwater, thanks to an air sac or pouch on their throat that inflates like a pillow. Once this pouch is filled with up to about 50 liters of air, they can doze off underwater in a vertical position. There are only predators or the Orca, or a large polar bear. No other animals would dare try to take them on. Sadly, though, humans are their greatest enemy. In the 17 and 1800s. They were almost extinct due to hunting. A Walrus colony is a very noisy place, with loud bellows and snorts being used to communicate in the herd. Normally, walruses are only aggressive during mating season, when males fight over the females. Despite their hugeness, Walruses are easily spooked, any sign of danger can cause the herd to stampede into the safety of the water. Walrus is a central character throughout folklore and mythology, especially of the Arctic peoples. In Finnish mythology, there was a sea monster Terrassa which is an ancient name for walrus.  The Inuit goddess Sedna was an old woman with a walrus head and she ruled the bottom of the sea. In Alaskan mythology…the Northern Lights is a special world where deceased souls played ball with a walrus head. A 16th century wood carving in Norway portrays a huge tusked creature on the coast called Morse, which means sharp bite. In Greenland folklore, there is a giant monster resembling a walrus with the head of a whale, the legs of a dog, and a huge walrus tail. It's covered with black scales all over its body. It was said to easily sink ships with one blow from its walrus-like tail. Walruses have also appeared in popular culture, including Alice in Wonderland, “the walrus and the carpenter”, the 1871 poem by Lewis Carroll and the Beatles song, “I Am the Walrus”, written in 1967 by John Lennon. So the walrus is a powerful symbol in various cultures around the world. It is often associated with wisdom, strength, socialization, and adaptability. The tusks are seen as symbols of power, adaptability and protection. In some Native American cultures, the walrus is considered a symbol of fertility, abundance and a life well lived.  So called in the spirit of the walrus. Call it in for life well live! “Call IT in With Dar!” 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai