How walrus tusks are harvested. How it's done, how it works, how it works Why walrus tusks are needed

Walrus. 1. Large pinniped marine northern mammal with long fangs and moustache.
2. trans. A person who swims in open water in winter. Walrus section.

Why do walruses have fangs?

The walrus is an amazing animal. Everything in it is special: weight, size, habitat. He is the only representative of the walrus family. Having no auricles, he hears perfectly, having no legs, he moves perfectly. In addition, he has one more feature - long and powerful fangs, which are often called tusks (by analogy with the tusks of land animals).

There were many suggestions as to why the walrus needs tusks. In some descriptions of these majestic animals, naturalists assigned fangs the role of a means of transportation. If this were the case, then the females, whose fangs are much shorter, would be deprived of the ability to move. The assumption that walruses get their food with their tusks was also refuted. Again, if so, how do females and young males feed?

It has already been proven that not fangs, but vibrissae help walruses in search of food. With them, the animal “probes” the bottom, and with them rolls the collected food into lumps. On the muzzle of a walrus, there can be more than half a thousand vibrissae, which wear out with age. That's when, deprived of their sensitive "whiskers", walruses use fangs to dig up mollusks, worms and crustaceans. When a walrus has no need to "plow" the bottom in search of food (in captivity), its vibrissae can reach a much greater length than that of wild relatives. If in nature the length of the "whiskers" is about (or slightly more) ten centimeters, then in the zoo - up to thirty.

Today it is reliably known why the walrus needs tusks: they determine its “status”. The longer and more powerful they are, the more numerous the male has a harem. Fangs are a powerful weapon with which walruses find out which of them is stronger. Not always fights for the favor of females do without blood. Particularly dramatic are fights in which fighters of approximately equal strength take part. This does not cancel the use of "tusks" for other purposes. If necessary, the walrus can use its tusks to climb onto the ice floe. Canine growth is a long process. In some males, it can last more than 15 years. Strong fangs help the walrus break the ice, with their help he makes a hole, but their main purpose is to show the opponent who is stronger.

Among the walruses there are individuals with a very rich diet. To the usual food - molluscs and crustaceans - they add birds and even seals. Here it is no longer necessary to wonder why the walrus needs fangs. Everything is clear: in order to kill prey. The fangs of such walruses are sharper and thinner than those of ordinary males, and they usually live apart from others. This is not about those walruses that change their menu due to a temporary lack of food, but about real robbers that instill fear in other large animals, including seals. The latter, by the way, are trying to leave the habitat of such a cruel hunter.

Unfortunately, the authority of walrus tusks, so indisputable among relatives, has no effect on a person. Walruses were mercilessly exterminated precisely because of their fangs. The more powerful they were, the more danger their owner was exposed to. The sale of products made from walrus tusks has always been a profitable business. Now walrus hunting is strictly regulated. In Russia, it is allowed only for the indigenous peoples of the north (Yakutia and Chukotka), who traditionally use the meat and fat of these animals, and some walrus subspecies are generally listed in the Red Book of Russia.

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What is being brought from Chukotka? The main souvenir is crafts made from walrus tusks. Figures depicting Chukchi or wild animals will follow you everywhere, and sellers will persuade you to buy. But these are some of the most expensive souvenirs in the world: a walrus bone costs like gold! And a relatively small figure can cost thirty thousand rubles.

Bringing magnets is banal, buying such expensive trinkets is unsportsmanlike. Therefore, I brought a photo story about an Anadyr master who cuts tusks all day long.

1 A small apartment in an old wooden house in the center of Anadyr. There is a workshop for the production of national souvenirs. I have been to many "home" workshops, they always look about the same, no matter what they make.

2 The door was opened for me by Vladimir, the master himself. Pokachalu seemed rather gloomy: a business partner, a seller of these same souvenirs from a shopping center, with whom we talked on the street, asked for a meeting. He got down to business right away, showed a few knuckles, without fully understanding what I wanted from him.

3 Sticks lying underfoot, similar to pieces of wood, are those very expensive tusks, in whole and in parts. Raw materials are purchased in the eastern regions of the Chukotka District, everything is absolutely legal. But for some reason, walruses are not openly called walruses, calling him impersonally - sea ​​animal. Hearing this in Chukotka for the first time, I did not immediately understand what kind of sea animal it was!

4 What do you think is the most expensive walrus tusk craft? The eminence of the master, the art of carving? No, the size of the fang itself! It is up to seventy percent of the price. That is, everything else, it turns out, is not so important.

5 It was strange to see such expensive material practically lying on the shelves. In fact, it's fading. It takes at least a year from the moment of extraction for the tusks to finally ossify and be ready for work. If you start too early, it will crumble.

6 Another material for Chukchi souvenirs is bear claws. They do not become independent crafts, but are actively used as coasters.

7 Among other things, Vladimir showed a very rare thing - a f*cking walrus! The real one! I was surprised to learn that the walrus has a bone. And at the same time, the biggest penis on the planet is also in the walrus!

8 And here are the finished crafts: an engraving on a walrus tusk. This one is worth over a thousand dollars.

9 The previous photo shows only a blank, this is the final version, decorated with national scenes, all made from the same walrus bone. How do you like a souvenir for 60-70 thousand rubles? Ready to buy?

10 Meanwhile, there is a very funny wallpaper in one of the workshop rooms.

11 Vladimir has been engaged in artistic carving for fifteen years, but this is far from his only profession. Today he is 62 and has been a dancer in a local band for most of his life. Then he changed several professions, artists retire early. But I found myself in this thread. He recalls that his mother told him about how, as a little boy, he easily carved various figures and weapons from pieces of wood. He says that he is engaged in this business not so much for the sake of earning money, but for the sake of the process itself and his own pleasure. And one more thing, to be alone with yourself: Vladimir has a whole string of grandchildren of different ages at home.

12 The work of a carver is most similar, you will never guess, to the profession of a dentist! Incisors (the so-called tools), in fact, these are low-power drills with different nozzles.

13 A blank made of tusk, four centimeters in length, literally in ten minutes of work is transformed in skillful hands ...

14 ... into a lying bear! Or a Chukchi boy. Or in a walrus, mammoth, any other figurine.

15 This walrus doesn't seem to brush its teeth well! Comes across a natural marriage, caries and pulpitis. Such work has to be thrown away, it loses its value and becomes practically devalued.

16 On the mezzanine of the workshop lay a heap of elk antlers. Also material, but Vladimir said that it was not interesting to work with it, except to use it as an auxiliary one.

17 At first, Vladimir reacted coolly to my visit, but then we started talking, he began to smile, joke, talk about his life.

18 It is surprising that I spent a week in Chukotka, three days in the city of Anadyr, but I found a master and filmed this story in the last half hour before my boat left for the airport village. This little photo story, in fact, made this whole trip meaningful and complete. Because the abandoned and colorful houses of the Soviet period are wonderful ... but living people and their stories are what I travel for.

The walrus is a special animal. Everything is unique in it: dimensions, weight, habitats. The walrus is the only member of the walrus family. He hears perfectly, although he does not have auricles, he moves well, although he does not have legs. In addition, the walrus has another interesting feature - powerful long fangs, which, by analogy with similar tusks of land animals, are often also called tusks.

There have been many theories as to why the walrus needs tusks. Some naturalists have suggested that fangs are a means of transportation. But if this were true, then the females, whose fangs are much shorter, would not be able to move around. Also, the assumption was refuted that with the help of fangs, walruses get their own food. Again, if this were the case, how would females and young males feed?

Researchers have already shown that walruses use whiskers, not tusks, to find food. With them, the animal “probes” the bottom and rolls the collected food into lumps. A walrus can have over five hundred vibrissae on its face, which wear out with age. It was then that, losing their sensitive "whiskers", walruses use fangs to dig up mollusks, crustaceans and worms. When a walrus is in captivity and there is no need for it to “plow” the bottom in search of food, its vibrissae reach a much greater length than that of wild relatives. While in nature these "whiskers" reach a length of about ten centimeters, in the zoo their length can be up to thirty centimeters.

Today it is known why the walrus needs fangs - to determine its "status". The longer and more powerful the fangs, the more numerous the male's harem. With the help of fangs, males find out who is stronger.

However, this does not at all cancel the use of fangs for other purposes. The walrus, if necessary, can use its fangs to climb onto the ice floe. Fang growth is a very long process. In some individuals, it can take more than fifteen years. With the help of powerful fangs, walruses can break the ice, but still their main purpose is to demonstrate to the opponent who is stronger.

Unfortunately, the authority of walrus tusks, so indisputable among relatives, has no effect on a person. It was because of the fangs that walruses were mercilessly exterminated. Moreover, the more powerful they were, the greater the danger their owner was exposed to. Products made from walrus tusks have always brought good profits. Today, the hunting of these animals is strictly regulated.

Without exception, everyone on our planet knows what an elephant looks like. But not everyone can correctly tell and explain why he needs such an organ as a trunk. Let's first find out what the trunk is and what it looks like. Some people say that the trunk is some kind of nose. And someone believes that the trunk is a hand. But all these people are right, and the trunk has many functions.

First, it is considered an organ of smell, like a person's nose. An elephant will be able to smell various smells from a great distance if he turns his trunk to the side.

Secondly, the trunk can serve as a lip to the animal when it gets food and then puts it in its mouth. The trunk can also be the tool with which the elephant plucks leaves from trees and even draws water when it is hot and thirsty. That is, the trunk can also perform the functions of a hand. And if an elephant is suddenly bitten by midges, then it can scratch with its trunk or drive away annoying insects.

From time to time, an elephant uses its trunk to fight enemies. His blow can be so powerful that it will cripple the offender or even cause his death. In ancient times, the colonialists from England used elephants as a labor force for a very long time. Thanks to the properties of the trunk, it can carry things with great weight, clear the way in sparsely populated areas and cut down trees. During the mating season, the elephant is obliged to use the trunk, because only in this way can the male elephants get the attention of the female. But more importantly, with the help of a roar emitted by the trunk, these animals can communicate with their relatives and send messages to them. From this list of trunk functions, you can already understand that this organ is indispensable for elephants.

Scientists have learned that the trunk used to be a lip, which eventually merged with the nose. And now the trunk is a very mobile and powerful muscular tube. As in all people the nose is divided by the nasal septum, so the elephant has two openings in the trunk. At its end are very small, but strong and trained muscles that serve as an elephant like fingers. Do you know that elephants are descended from mammoths? If yes, then you should know that mammoths had tusks. Elephants have also preserved them, although they have changed a little. They are also located in the upper jaw, like in mammoths.

Why does an elephant need tusks?

The tusks themselves are just upper teeth, but grown to an incredible size. Although these are ordinary teeth, they are of great importance in the life of all elephants. Female elephants do not have the massive tusks that elephants can display. In males, they are longer and thicker. During the mating season, elephants compete with each other for the ability to procreate with a certain female elephant. In these cases, the tusks act as a dangerous weapon. Elephants also often use tusks to ensure the safety of their family and offspring from formidable predators, because not every tiger or lion will dare to fight an elephant or elephant, because there is a risk of being killed with one blow.