Picture trying to survive in the icy seas of the Arctic. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the walrus, a mammal up to 3.5 meters long, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider long tusks: this adaptation help it pull its heavy body onto the ice. The word tusks refers to very long teeth that stick out of the mouth. Equally important is stiff whiskers on its snout, which feel for clams on the dark sea floor. Without these traits, the walrus would struggle to last a single season.
As a carnivore, the walrus is an animal that eats other animals; it depends on clams, snails and worms. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it rests on floating ice in large, noisy groups. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young walrus, called calves, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A calf stays with its mother for about two years and rides on her back in the water.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: a walrus can suck a clam right out of its shell. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.