- Who
- Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus
- What
- 400-700 total number
- Where
- Not Applicable ()
Distributed throughout the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas, the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) has 400–700 whiskers (or vibrissae) on its face, taking the form of a bushy moustache. Each whisker averages 8 centimetres (3 inches) in length and about 3 millimetres (0.11 inches) thick. The walrus uses its stiff, quill-like whiskers to detect bivalves such as clams on the murky seabed; they are sensitive enough to differentiate between shells that are millimetres apart in size.
The longest vibrissae among pinnipeds, meanwhile, are those the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) whose whiskers have measured as long as 48 cm (19 in).
