What is a Walrus Niche?
They are predatory seals that eat benthic (bottom dwelling) invertebrates like clams mostly, by deep diving and grubbing along in the mud. The ecological niche can be defined in many different ways….where they live, are they diurnal or nocturnal, what is there feeding range, what do they eat, who eats them (killer whales, white sharks, humans, and polar bears). For instance, large sea lions living near walruses might seem to occupy a very similar niche but then you would find they eat different things and hunt in different areas and probably haul out on different beaches and raise their young in different areas.
