Walrus Communication

Walrus Communication

There is no doubt that the walrus does enjoy the company of others. They have very thick skin which isn’t sensitive at all to touch. However, they do engage in behaviors that involve physical contact as a source of communication. The whiskers on their faces though are highly sensitive. This is a detailed method of how things are sent through their bodies.

Each one has its own nerve endings and these transmit messages to the brain. It is believed that when walruses come into physical contact with each other they will touch whiskers which gives them a variety of positive sensations. One of the reasons why walruses are such great communicators is because they have vocal cords.

This allows them to make sounds while they are in the water as well as while on land. They males also have the ability to produce what sounds like bells under the water. These are made from the air sacs found in the pharynx. It is believed that these sounds help them to find each other in the water as well as to warm others about predators.

There are many distinct types of communication that you can hear walruses take part in. They including barking, grunting, whistling, and clicking. When young calves feel distress or threatened they will offer loud bellows. Their mothers are very familiar with both their scent and their sound so they can try to offer comfort and assistance when needed.

Aggression is very common among the walruses due to that being how they establish their social order. They may roar, cough, and even snort in order to try to intimidate others around them. The males often use these types of communication when they are competing for mating rights with a group of females.

They are able to use all of their senses in order to effectively communicate with each other. This includes sight, sound, smell, and touch. It is really interesting to watch how they will communication with each other on a regular basis. They are found in large herds and often touching the whiskers of each other.

The mothers communicate in many ways with the young as well. Her role is to teach them to effectively communicate. From time to time you will see them being even disciplining their young for certain behaviors that they engage in. Most of the time though they are very encouraging towards their offspring. They immediately learn the sounds of each other too.

That way they are able to communicate even in large herds. This comes in handy too should the young be temporarily separated from its mother. The fact that communication is so important for the walrus is something that researchers have used in various ways. For example when they have them in captivity they make sure they have others that they can socialize with.

This is very important when young walruses are in captivity. It seems that without this type of constant interaction and communication that they fail to really thrive. They may not gain the weight that they should due to not eating properly. Being able to understand this vital need has helped to ensure that those in captivity have the best chance of surviving.

Many researchers are very impressed with the advanced types of communication among the walruses. They seem to have a deep bond with many in their herd that is unusually for most animals. Since they use so many types of communication though there is still plenty that we have to learn about. Hopefully this will shed more light on them as a whole. It is believed that the communication process for the walrus is important for them to be able to thrive.