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| Some Facts About Whales |
 Suborder
Mysticeti -- Baleen Whales have
hundreds of thin plates in the mouth which they
use to strain out food from the water. They feed
mainly on plankton. |
 The Blue
Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal to have ever
lived, dwarfing even the largest dinosaurs.
Adults average 80 to 105 feet in length and weigh
up to 200 tons. The tongue is as heavy as an
elephant, and the heart the size of an
automobile. |
 The Gray
Whale (Eschricktius robustus)
has one of the longest migrations of all mammals
-- 10,000 to 14,000 miles between their feeding
and calving grounds, round trip. Unlike other
baleen whales, the gray whale is a bottom feeder. |
 The Humpback
Whal (Megaptera novaeangliae) is one of the largest baleen whales,
with adults being 40-50 feet long and weighing
25-40 tons. It is distinguished from other whales
by an obvious hump behind the head, black dorsal
coloring, wavy rear edges on the tail flukes, and
the presence of rounded, bump-like knobs on the
top of the head. |
 Suborder
Odontoceti -- Toothed Whales differ
greatly in size, in shape, and in the number of
teeth they have. Some toothed whales eat fish,
and others eat such animals as cuttlefish and
squid. |
 Narwhal (Monodon
monoceros) The most characteristic feature of the
narwhal is its tusk, which is always spiral in a
counter-clockwise (as viewed by the animal)
direction and can be as long as 9 feet. Only
present in males, the tusk is actually a greatly
elongated tooth. |
