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Whisker growth dynamics of walrus under human care

Blackfield, Danielle
; 
Allen, Erika L.
; 
Northcraft, Nick
; 
Pitts, Sydney E.
; 
Pratt-Smith, Ashley
; 
Synott, Mitzi
; 
Broughton, Heather
; 
Beechler, Brianna R.
; 
Steingass, Shea
Abstract
Wildlife species that live in remote habitats often require significant investment for scientific study. As such, in lieu of direct observation, conservation research often relies on the analysis of biological samples that are easier to access (feces, hair, whiskers) to gain insight into a wild species' life history (Crawford et al., 2008). Using these samples, scientists can explore exposure to toxic elements, stress, foraging behavior, and even spatial habitat use without undue stress to the animal itself (Crawford et al., 2008). Whiskers (also known as vibrissae), and other keratinized tissues, can be analyzed via isotopic analysis for their content of elements, hormones, and isotopes that remain stable over time. These analyses provide longitudinal insight into an animal's stress, exposure to pollutants, diet, foraging habits, habitat use, and health that can be essential for wildlife managers and scientists alike (Ceia et al., 2018; Charapata et al., 2022; Crawford et al., 2008; Jones et al., 2020; Keogh et al., 2021; Kooyomjian et al., 2022). Whiskers can be obtained from both living and dead animals through minimally invasive sampling efforts, making them an ideal tool for tracking long-term biological processes and ecological effects on individuals.
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2025-02-22
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Marine Mammal Science
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Institute for Integrative Conservation
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Blackfield, D. , Allen, E. L. , Northcraft, N. , Pitts, S. E. , Pratt-Smith, A. , Synnott, M. , Broughton, H. , Beechler, B. R. , & Steingass, S. (2025). Whisker growth dynamics of walrus under human care. Marine Mammal Science, 41(3), e70000. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70000
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https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70000
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https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/19660
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