F. Skin and Hair. A walrus' skin is thick and tough. It is thickest on the neck and shoulders of adult males, where it protects the animal against jabs by the tusks of other walruses. Since the nodules appear at the time of puberty, they are presumed by some researchers to be a secondary sex characteristic. It is shortest on the face and absent on the flippers.
Hair is densest on juveniles and becomes less dense with age.
Females may molt over a more prolonged period. They shed a natal coat at about one to two months of age. All Rights Reserved.