Marine Creature of the Month July '20

Marine Creature of the Month

Famous Fish

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Scuttle and The Walrus

We have a draw! For the first time ever on MCotM, a draw! I figure it is only fair that you get a post covering both of them. Instead of an in-depth profile on both, I am going to throw some fun facts about both of them your way.

Scuttle the Seagull

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Aves

Conservation Status: Certain species are endangered (EN), like the herring gull.

Picture from Varment Guard

• Seagulls are one of the few creatures which can drink sea water. They can drink salt water because of the glands above the eyes which flush salt out of their system, via holes in their bills.
  
• While Scuttle may not know the names for human objects, seagulls are actually very intelligent. They display learned behaviours like stamping their feet on the ground to mimic the rain and trick worms out of the ground. Not only do they show such intelligence but they pass the knowledge on.
  
• The oldest known gull is forty-nine years old. It was a herring gull.
  
• There are fifty-four species of gull in total. These are split into ten separate genus and live across the globe.
  
• The largest species of gull is ten times heavier than the smallest. The Great Black-Beaked Gull weighs in at 1.75kg while the Little Gull is just 120g.
  
• Gulls feature in Native American symbolism. They represent a carefree attitude, versatility, and freedom. Do you think Scuttle fits this description?
  
• Hybridisation occurs between species of gull. This means two different species come together and mate, creating a bird that is a mix of the two. This makes identifying the genealogy of individual gulls difficult.
  
• Nesting is a noisy affair. Gulls nest in large and densely packed groups. I'm sure you've seen them all on cliffs, squawking away! Their nests are made out of vegetation and house clutches of two or three speckled eggs.
  
• Gulls breed on every continent. Even Antarctica! They don't tend to breed in tropical climates but as migratory birds they do spend their winters in the warmer weather.
  
• Gulls are excellent communicators. Their vocab extends much further than, "Mine! Mine! Mine!" They display complex vocalisations, body language, and the young even play together to learn vital skills for adult life!
  

Picture from Daily Record

The Walrus

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Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (VU)

Picture from Technology Networks

• There are only two species of walrus and they both live in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Arctic. They are the Pacific Walrus and the Atlantic Walrus. I think you can guess which waters they live in!
  
• The walrus is considered a vulnerable species because of how much they were hunted. While stablising now, they were sought out for their blubber, ivory, and meat. The indigenous populations of the Arctic have always hunted walruses for these reasons, but a spike in the 19th and 20th centuries from other cultures joining the hunt lead to a decline in numbers.
  
• When you say walrus, the image that comes to mind is a giant seal with tusks and whiskers. It is the image. However, extinct species of walrus did not have the tusks! Today they are used for displays of strength and for creating air holes in the ice; but predecessors of the modern walrus were tuskless.
  
• Both males and females have the tusks. As they are used for more than just masculine displays of dominance, it would be silly for the females to not have them. Walruses have a 1 tonne bulk to pull out of the water and they use their tusks to help haul them out. They are also used to defend against predators.
  
• Mama walruses are very protective of their young. They breed infrequently, so it is vital for the survival of their species to protect the next generation. Mothers will pick up their young with their flippers and even dive into the water with them to escape predators.
  
• As is suggested in Alice in Wonderland, walruses eat oysters, clams, molluscs, snails, and other creatures found in shallow waters. They do not dive deep for their dinner. Sensible, when you have a 1 tonne bulk to maintain. They need the fat to survive the cold temperatures. High activity hunting would undo their good work!
  
• Walruses can live up to forty years. The older they are, the more scarred their skin becomes. While it is 10cm thick, it will bear scars from battles with other walruses during breeding season.
  
• Here's a fun mental image for you: walruses can stampede. They are easily spooked by noises. When in their mass gatherings, if disturbed by a noise they will charge towards the water. I don't know about you, but the image in my head is about as graceful as if a herd of mes were stampeding to the water!
  
• As a sad, reoccurring theme: the biggest threat to the walrus is climate change and humanity. Warming waters and polar regions are leading to a decline in habitat. Add to that the increased human activity in the Arctic regions, tourism and trade, it's a miracle we haven't spooked the fat off them entirely!
  
• J.R.R. Tolkien (yes, that Tolkien) believed the etimology of "walrus" lay in Germanic languages. He believed the word could be split into "wal", which derives from the word walvis meaning whale, and "rus", which has links to an Old Norse word meaning horse. Ergo, walrus means whale-horse. But that is just one theory of its etimology.
  

Picture from Futurity

Who would you vote for now? Which was your favourite fun fact? Got any more Famous Fish to suggest? Lemme know, below!

Listening to: Cheesy Hits