Longest walrus tusks

The longest walrus Odobenus rosmarus tusks on record were a pair discovered by Ralph Young in 1997, which he had picked up at Bristol Bay, in Alaska, USA. The entire length of the right-hand tusk was measured at 37.875 in, that of the left-hand tusk was 36.875 in; the right-hand tusk's base circumference was 9.875 in, and so too was that of the left-hand tusk. The tusks of a walrus are a pair of greatly enlarged upper canine teeth.

The tusks of the walrus, which are bigger in males than in females, and constitute a pair of greatly enlarged canines, are used for several different purposes. They are formidable weapons utilized in fighting, dominance and display (the most dominant males in social groups are those with the largest tusks), but they are also employed as anchors, and as levers, helping these very large, heavy seals to haul themselves along a rocky shore or out of the water onto ice floes.