While swimming, a walrus holds its foreflippers against its body or uses them for steering. On land, a walrus positions its foreflippers at right angles to the body for walking. Walruses have triangular-shaped hind flippers. Hind flippers have five bony digits. Claws on the three middle digits are larger than those on the outer two digits.
Walruses use alternating strokes of the hind flippers to propel themselves in water.
Like sea lions, walruses can rotate their hind flippers under their pelvic girdle, enabling them to walk on all fours. A walrus' head is square and broad, with conspicuous tusks and whiskers. Vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves. Most walruses have 18 teeth. A walrus' upper canine teeth are modified into long ivory tusks.