Houston, TX
Known fondly all over the world as the “unicorn of the sea”, the narwhals are just as unique as they are elusive. Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are porpoises (porpoise). They belong to the cetacean family Monodontidae, which includes only 2 living species: the beluga whale and narwhals — Other species of this family are now extinct. They were discovered and described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 book, Systema Naturae. One of the earliest illustrations of a narwhal is a fish-like creature with a horn on its head by Olgus Magnus; Magnus called it a “Monoceros.” Monodon monoceros means one tooth, one horn. It was believed that a narwhal’s distinctive tusks were unicorn horns, and were sold to the rich as they were believed to neutralize poison — Mary Queen of Scotland used it to help protect her from Queen Elizabeth I. These tusks were also believed to ward off disease, so they were used in jewelry. For example, the Imperial Crown Jewels of Austria were made from the narwhal's tusk. The term “narwhal” comes from an Old Norse word, nárhval, meaning “corpse whale,” possibly referring to the narwhal’s mottled, gray skin and its habit of logging, which is remaining motionless on the water’s surface, an activity that usually happens in the summer. Their scientific name, Monodon monoceros, is derived from Greek, meaning single-tooth single-horn.” They have been hunted for years by the Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland for their ivory and meat, as it is a good source of protein and vitamin C.
The most famous part of a narwhal is its two tusks made of ivory. These tusks are commonly found on
males, although about 15% of females also have them. One in 500 males has two tusks, but there has only been one female that has had two in recorded history. The tusks are in a left-turning helix spiral. It's called a left-turning helix spiral because the tusks always point left, even if there's two. The tusks are actually a 10-foot-long tooth, and it's the only tusk in the world that doesn't curve. Inside of a tusk, there are 10 million nerve endings. Their use has been recently figured out, new research that suggests the tusk is to compete for and attract mates.
A narwhal weighs about 1.5 tons, and they are as long as a school bus, tusk included. A narwhal's color depends on its age — They are born blue-gray; as they become juveniles, they become a bluish-black, and adults are a speckled gray. Old narwhals are almost white — They can live up to 125 years old. Legend has it that early sailors thought the pattern of the narwhals skin looked like a dead sailor in the water, pertaining to its name translating to “corpse whale.”
Narwhals live in the Arctic waters and the North Atlantic waters, but they have also been recorded around the North Pacific, around Canada, Greenland, and eastern Russia. They migrate from under the ice in winter to inshore waters in the spring, and coastal waters in the summer.
Narwhals are carnivores. They eat large-sized Arctic fish, including Arctic cod, polar cod, turbot, squid, and shrimp. They can dive down to a depth of 3937 feet, and they are capable of holding their breath for 25 minutes. Narwhals typically live in groups of 15 to 20, but there have been reports of hundreds of narwhals traveling together; sometimes they get caught together in the ice and fall prey to Inuit hunters, polar bears, or walruses.
Narwhals usually reproduce around the time that they are six to eight years old. Gestation lasts for 15 months, and the calves are 1.5 meters in length. Newborns are usually born with a thin layer of blubber, which thickens as the calves grow older. They become mature at around 20 months.
Narwhals are listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. This is because of the hunting for their meat and ivory, as well as noise pollution from military activities. The global narwhal population is around 80,000, yet they are important to the environment, as they are at the top of their food chain and control prey populations, so we must do all we can to protect them.
Sources:
“These Surprising Animals Have Tusks.” Animals, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/narwhal?loggedin=true&rnd=1720742058634.
“Unicorn of the Sea: Narwhal Facts.” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/stories/unicorn-of-the-sea-narwhal-facts. Accessed 7 Sept. 2024.
Fact Animal. “22 Astonishing Narwhal Facts - Fact Animal.” Fact Animal, 12 Dec. 2020, factanimal.com/narwhals.
Gallagher, Katherine. “12 Curious Narwhal Facts.” Treehugger, 12 Feb. 2021, www.treehugger.com/narwhal-facts-5111846.
Fisheries, Noaa. “Narwhal.” NOAA, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/narwhal.
“Narwhal.” Animalia, animalia.bio/narwhal. Accessed 7 Sept. 2024.
“Narwhal.” Wikipedia, 3 Sept. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal.
Narwhal Tusk Facts: Did You Know? | Arctic Kingdom. resources.arctickingdom.com/narwhal-tusk-facts-did-you-know.
Mystical or Magical - Majesty has it. Agree? Read more from steme.org/blogs
Connect with us:
Comments