The scientific genus of the walrus is Odobenus.
The walrus is the only living species in the genus Odobenus and the family Odobenidae. Its full scientific name is Odobenus rosmarus. The genus name comes from Greek roots associated with walking with the teeth, referring to the way walruses use their tusks while hauling themselves from the water.
Two commonly recognized living subspecies are the Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, and the Pacific walrus, Odobenus rosmarus divergens. Pacific walruses are generally larger, although body size varies with age, sex, and food supply.
The genus is easy to confuse with seal genera such as Phoca and Erignathus. Walruses are distinct because they combine large tusks, highly developed whiskers, and hind flippers that can rotate forward on land.