Psychology of feelings 

Narwhal belongs to the family. Narwhal sea unicorn. Economic value to humans: Positive

The unicorn exists, but he does not live in fairy forests, and in the icy waters of the Arctic, and his name is narwhal. This toothed whale is armed with a straight horn (tusk), often half the length of the powerful body.

Description of the narwhal

Monodon monoceros is a member of the narwhal family, representing the only species in the narwhal genus.. In addition to it, in the family of narwhals (Monodontidae) there is only a white whale, which has similar morphological and immunological characteristics.

Appearance

The narwhal is related to the beluga whale not only by the size / shape of the body - both whales do not have a dorsal fin, the same pectoral fins and ... cubs (the beluga whale gives birth to dark blue offspring, which turns white as they grow older). An adult narwhal grows up to 4.5 m with a mass of 2-3 tons. Ketologists assure that this is not the limit - with luck, you can get 6-meter specimens.

About a third of the weight is fat, and the fat layer itself (protecting the animal from the cold) is about 10 cm. The mouth of a narwhal is relatively small, and the upper lip slightly overlaps the fleshy lower one, which is completely devoid of teeth.

Important! The narwhal could be considered completely toothless, if not for a pair of rudimentary teeth found in the upper jaw. The right one is cut through extremely rarely, and the left one turns into the famous 2-3-meter tusk, completed in a left-handed spiral.

Despite its impressive appearance and weight (up to 10 kg), the tusk is extremely strong and flexible - its end is able to bend 0.3 m without the threat of being broken. However, the tusks sometimes break off and then do not grow back, and their dental canals are tightly sealed with bone fillings. The role of the dorsal fin is performed by a low (up to 5 cm) leathery fold (0.75 m in length), located on a barely convex back. The pectoral fins of the narwhal are wide but short.

The sexually mature narwhal differs from its closest relative (the beluga whale) in its recognizable spotted coloration. On the general light background of the body (on the head, sides and back), many dark spots are scattered irregular shape up to 5 cm in diameter. The spots often merge, especially on the upper areas of the head/neck and caudal peduncle, creating uniform dark areas. Young narwhals are usually painted in monochrome - bluish-gray, black-gray or slate.

Character and lifestyle

Narwhals are social animals that form huge herds. The most numerous communities consist of mature males, young animals and females, and small communities consist of females with cubs or mature males. According to ketologists, narwhals used to gather in huge herds of up to several thousand individuals, but now the group rarely exceeds hundreds of heads.

This is interesting! In summer, narwhals (unlike belugas) prefer to be in deep waters, and in winter they stay in polynyas. When the latter are covered with ice, males wield strong backs and tusks, breaking the ice crust (up to 5 cm in thickness).

From the side, fast-swimming narwhals look quite impressive - they do not lag behind each other, performing synchronous maneuvers. These whales are no less picturesque in moments of rest: they lie on the surface of the sea, directing their impressive tusks forward or upward, towards the sky. Narwhals live in the icy waters that fringe the Arctic ice and resort to seasonal migrations based on the movement of floating ice.

By winter, whales go south, and migrate north in summer. Beyond the boundaries of polar waters below 70 ° N. sh., narwhals come out only in winter and extremely rarely. Periodically, males cross their horns, which ketologists regard as a way to free the tusks from foreign growths. Narwhals can talk and do it very willingly, uttering (depending on the occasion) squeals, lowings, clicks, whistles and even groans with sighs.

How long does a narwhal live

Biologists are convinced that natural environment Narwhals live for at least half a century (up to 55 years). In captivity, the species does not take root and does not reproduce: the caught narwhal did not last even 4 months in captivity. To keep a narwhal in artificial tanks, it is not only too large, but also quite fastidious, as it needs special water parameters.

sexual dimorphism

The difference between male and female individuals can be traced, first of all, in size - females are smaller and rarely approach a ton in weight, gaining about 900 kg. But the fundamental difference lies in the teeth, or rather, in the left upper tooth, which pierces the upper lip of the male and grows 2–3 m, twisting into a tight corkscrew.

Important! The right tusks (in both sexes) are hidden in the gums, developing extremely rarely - in about 1 case out of 500. In addition, sometimes a long tusk breaks through in the female. Hunters came across female narwhals with a pair of tusks (right and left).

However, ketologists classify the tusk as a secondary sex characteristic of males, but still debate its function. Some biologists believe that males use their tusks in mating games ah, attracting partners or measuring strength with competitors (in the second case, narwhals rub against tusks).

Other uses for tusks include:

  • stabilization of the body (protecting it from rotation along the axis) during swimming with circular movements of the caudal fin;
  • providing oxygen to the remaining members of the herd, devoid of horns - with the help of tusks, males break the ice, creating vents for relatives;
  • the use of a tusk as a hunting weapon, as captured by a video filmed by specialists from the WWF Polar Research Department in 2017;
  • protection from natural enemies.

In addition, in 2005, thanks to research by a group led by Martin Nweeia, it was found that the narwhal tusk is a kind of sensory organ. The bone tissue of the tusk was examined under an electron microscope and found that it was penetrated by millions of tiny channels with nerve endings. Biologists have put forward a hypothesis according to which the narwhal tusk reacts to changes in temperature and pressure, and also determines the concentration of suspended particles in sea water.

Range, habitats

Narwhal lives in the North Atlantic, as well as in the Kara, Chukchi and Barents Seas related to the Arctic Ocean. It is found mainly near Greenland, the Canadian archipelago and Svalbard, as well as in the north of the Northern Island of Novaya Zemlya and off the coast of Franz Josef Land.

Narwhals are recognized as the northernmost of all cetaceans, as they live between 70 ° and 80 ° northern latitude. In summer, the northernmost migrations of the narwhal extend up to 85°N. sh., in winter there are southern visits - to the Netherlands and Great Britain, Bering Island, White Sea and the Murmansk coast.

The traditional habitats of the species are non-freezing polynyas in the center of the Arctic, which are rarely covered with ice even in the most severe winters. These oases among the ice remain unchanged from year to year, and the most remarkable of them have been awarded their own names. One of the most notable, the Great Siberian Polynya, is located near the New Siberian Islands. Their permanent polynyas are marked at east coast Taimyr, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.

This is interesting! Arctic ring of life - this is the name of a chain of areas of non-freezing sea ​​water, which links the permanent polynyas (traditional habitats of narwhals) to each other.

Animal migration is driven by advance/retreat of ice. On the whole, these northern whales have a rather limited range, as they are more picky about their habitat. They prefer deep waters, entering bays/fjords in the summer and hardly leaving loose ice. Most narwhals now live in the Davis Strait, the Greenland Sea and the Baffin Sea, but the most numerous population has been recorded in northwestern Greenland and in the waters of the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Narwhal diet

If the prey (bottom fish) hid at the bottom, the narwhal begins to work with a tusk to scare it away and force it to rise.

The diet of the narwhal includes many marine life:

  • cephalopods(including squid);
  • crustaceans;
  • salmon;
  • cod;
  • herring;
  • flounder and halibut;
  • stingrays and gobies.

The narwhal has adapted to a long stay under water, which is what it uses during the hunt, plunging for a long time to a kilometer depth.

Narwhal – marine mammal from the order of cetaceans, the only representative of the genus of narwhals from the family of narwhals (unicorns). The animal is included in the Red Book of Russia with the status of a rare rare species.

Appearance of the narwhal

Narwhal- this is a large marine animal, the length of which can reach 4.5 meters, and the mass is 1.5 tons, while about a third of the total weight is a thick fat layer that protects the narwhal from the cold.

Narwhal's head unusual shape: round with a protruding forehead.

The mouth and eyes are small, the upper fin is absent, the lateral fins are small and slightly elongated. The coloration of narwhals is light on the belly and sides and dark on top. Numerous spots are scattered throughout the body. The narwhal has no lower teeth, and only two upper ones. Moreover, in males, one of the teeth develops into a long horn - a tusk, which has a spiral shape and can reach three meters in length. There are isolated cases when not one, but two teeth turn into tusks.

The tusk is very strong, resilient and so flexible that it can bend in different directions up to 30 cm and not break. If, nevertheless, for some reason the tusk breaks, then the second one does not grow back, and the fracture site is covered with a special bone filling to protect the nerve endings. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on why narwhals need such a tusk. There are suggestions that with the help of such a horn, narwhals protect themselves from enemies, break through a thick layer of ice, or attract females during the mating season.

There is also a version that with the help of thousands of nerve endings located in the tusk, narwhals can determine the temperature and pressure of water.

Narwhal habitat

The animal lives in high latitudes Northern Arctic Ocean. It occurs in the areas of the islands of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, near Greenland and near the Canadian archipelago.

Narwhal migrations depend on the movement of drifters arctic ice. Seen less frequently near the coast, more often swims in deeper latitudes. Most southern territories where narwhals were observed: In the region of Great Britain and the Netherlands, off the coast of Murmansk, in the White Sea, and near Bering Island.

The nature and behavior of the narwhal

narwhals adapted to live in the Arctic ice. A thick layer of fat protects them from low temperatures air and water. With the help of their tusk, narwhals can break through ice up to 5 cm thick in order to emerge and take a breath of air. Often, a whole group of narwhals gathers at one polynya, in which everyone takes turns breathing air. The food of these animals is quite diverse. They can feed on cephalopods, crustaceans and fish. To find food, narwhals dive to a depth of 800 meters and eat fish located in the bottom area.

Most often, animals swim in small groups, communicating with each other using various sounds: clicks, groans, sighs, etc.

The number of individuals of narwhal

Accurate is still unknown. This is largely due to the difficulty of studying and observing them due to the fact that they live in places that are inaccessible to humans.

According to scientists, the approximate number of narwhals is about 40-50 thousand individuals.

The main limiting factors include pollution of the World Ocean, as well as fishing and poaching. The peoples of Canada and Greenland still kill narwhals and use their fat and meat as food, and various crafts and souvenirs are made from tusks. A natural factor influencing the number of narwhals is the attack of predators: polar bears, walruses and sharks.

Narwhal breeding

The mating season for narwhals occurs throughout the year, but the peak of activity occurs in the spring. A pregnant female bears a cub for about a year, one baby is born, very rarely two. Cubs are born up to one and a half meters in size, they feed on milk for about two years. At the age of 5-7 years, narwhals reach sexual maturity.

Their life expectancy is about 50 years. In captivity, narwhals quickly die before they have lived even six months due to pneumonia or other lung diseases.

Narwhal in the red book

Narwhal is listed in the International Red Book with the status of a species close to vulnerable. In Canada and Greenland, there are restrictive measures for hunting these animals: a ban on hunting pregnant females or individuals with cubs, the introduction of a special quota for their prey, etc.

In Russia, the narwhal is also listed in the Red Book and fishing for this animal is completely prohibited. Researching and studying narwhals is quite difficult for scientists, because they do not tolerate captivity and quickly die, and in natural conditions they live in hard-to-reach places.


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The size of an adult male often reaches 4.5 meters, with a mass of about one and a half tons. Females weigh slightly less. The head of an adult narwhal is round, with a large bumpy forehead, and there is no dorsal fin. Narwhals are somewhat reminiscent of beluga whales, although compared to the latter, the animals have a somewhat spotty skin and 2 upper teeth, one of which, growing, turns into a three-meter tusk weighing up to ten kg.

The narwhal and the white whale belong to the same subfamily of the narwhal. Unlike dolphins, they do not have a dorsal fin, but only a low ridge on their back. Like many other marine mammals, narwhals live in herds. Through a hole punched in the ice, all members of the herd of narwhals usually breathe in turn.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

Unlike the beluga whale, which hunts in shallow water, the narwhal feeds in the Arctic depths. It hunts mainly cod, halibut and flounder, but also shrimp, small cuttlefish and crabs. Narwhal is the owner of subtle hearing. When hunting, he uses echolocation. As well as bat, narwhal sends into the space around him sound signals, which, having encountered an obstacle, return back. According to this echo, the narwhal accurately determines the location, size and direction of the object's movement. Diving for prey, the narwhal is able to descend to a depth of 370 m, and it can stay under water for up to 15 minutes, after which this marine mammal must rise to the surface and inhale the air.

Movably connected vertebral discs give flexibility to the skeleton of the narwhal and make the animal a dexterous hunter. In addition to a long spiral twisted tusk, in males, another smaller tusk grows from the upper jaw, covered with a lip. The large tooth in females usually grows into the jawbone. The narwhal cannot bite the prey - it grabs it with its jaws and swallows it whole. Therefore, this animal hunts prey of a certain size.

LIFESTYLE

Narwhals live in herds, the largest of which number up to 2,000 animals. Basically, they are in related groups, but there are also herds in which animals are grouped according to sex and age. Male peers usually gather in groups of 8-10 animals. Narwhals are friendly marine animals. Often they can be observed in the fjords along with their relatives - belugas. It is also interesting to watch the narwhal, which is dozing on the surface. ice water. The narwhal pierces a hole in the ice (airhole) with its convex forehead, to which it returns from time to time if the ice crust is very thick for it in other places. Narwhal can stay under water for fifteen minutes. In autumn, when Arctic waters are frozen, narwhals swim south in large herds, where they spend the winter.

BREEDING

Narwhals breed in spring, from March to May. The dominant male gathers a harem and mates with several females. For 14-15 months, usually in mid-July, the female gives birth to one cub. The pause between births in these animals is 3 years - during this time the female takes care of her baby. A long interval between births and a small number of newborns is a serious obstacle to the survival of the species. The cub leaves the mother's womb tail first. Immediately after this, the female pushes him to the surface with her nose so that his lungs fill with air for the first time. The length of the baby narwhal is 1.5 m, weight - about 80-90 kg. It has gray-blue skin. With age, a black and white pattern appears on the skin, which is called “salt and pepper.” The mother gradually accustoms the child to independence, leaving one when she swims in search of prey. In one-year-old males, a tusk begins to grow, which enlarges surprisingly quickly.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Narwhal - a brownish speckled whale. It is also called the sea unicorn. The length of these rare whales reaches 6 meters. They live in the waters of the Arctic and North Antarctic, along the ice edge in the open sea.

They keep in herds. They feed on squid, flounder and other fish. One cub is born every 2-3 years. Males are adorned with a tusk up to 3 meters long, twisted like a screw. This is a huge tooth that has sprouted through the upper lip. During mating games, males “fence” with this weapon.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

  • In the Middle Ages, people believed that the tusk of the narwhal was the horn of a unicorn and attributed miraculous effects to it. medicinal properties. British Queen Elizabeth II kept the narwhal horn as a valuable relic.
  • Some male narwhal (unicorn) have two tusks, the spirals on which have one direction - twist to the left. The length of the tusk can reach 3 meters. It is visible from under the upper lip and grows all the time. Sometimes such a tusk also grows in female narwhals.
  • The beluga whale, also the only species of the genus, belongs to the narwhal subfamily along with the narwhal.
  • The Old Norse word 'genus' means 'corpse'. The narwhal, or "cadaver whale", was so named because the mottled coloration of the old animals was similar to that of a corpse.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE NARWHAL

Body: the streamlined shape is ideal for fast sailing. The back is covered with numerous black spots, the belly is white. The ends near the rounded pectoral fins (modified forelimbs) bend upward with age. The dorsal fin is low.

Male tusk: its purpose is unknown. Perhaps the narwhal uses it as a weapon while defending its territory.

Young: has a dark gray-blue color.


- Habitat of the narwhal

WHERE LIVES

The animal narwhal lives in arctic and subarctic waters, under an ice crust or drifting ice, off the coast of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Svalbard.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Narwhals are threatened by poachers and sea pollution. The number of narwhal is from 25,000 to 30,000 animals, of which about half live near the northwestern coast of Greenland.

#12 Narwhal Unicorn - narval Stories Northern. Video (00:01:47)

Unicorns are not fairy creatures, this is reality. Narwhals were named unicorns - mammals of the unicorn family, the only species of the genus of narwhals. Narwhals are very beautiful and powerful animals. Adult males reach a length of 3.5-4.5 m and weigh about 1.5 tons. Females are smaller than males: their length is about 3 m, weight - 900 kg. A third of their mass is occupied by subcutaneous fat. In the wild, narwhals can live up to 55 years, but in captivity they die after 3-4 months.

Narwhal or water Unicorn - an inhabitant of the Arctic Ocean, close relative Beluga whales belong to the family of cetaceans.

The body length is on average 4-4.5 m, the maximum recorded length is 6 m for the male and 4.5 m for the female. Baby narwhals are born with a length of 1.5 m. Weight ranges from 900 to 1500 kg on average.

They are similar in body structure to belugas, but there are significant differences. First, narwhals have dark spots on their upper body. different size and forms that appear with age. Second, unique dental system. Females have only two teeth that do not erupt. And in males, the left tooth (tusk, horn) reaches a length of 2.5 - 3 m, has high strength and flexibility. During growth, the tusk twists in a spiral, resembling a corkscrew. The second tooth does not erupt. The purpose of such a huge tooth is not disclosed by scientists. There is speculation that it serves as a tool to attract females during the mating season. It is also suspected that this is an antenna that allows you to determine the temperature of the water or its composition and depth. In any case, narwhals never use their tusk for attack and rarely for breaking through ice.

IN winter time narwhals dive to depths of up to 1.5 km a year to protect themselves from the cold Arctic waters. After some time, they return to the surface for air and again go to the depth. They make about 15 such dives per day. Also, from cold water these representatives water world protected by a layer subcutaneous fat 10 cm. summer season depth of stay from 30 to 300 m.

The source of food for these creatures are cephalopods and different types bottom fish. And the main enemies are killer whales and polar bears. Babies can sometimes be attacked by sharks.

Animals are kept in small groups and very rarely alone. The mating season is spring, and pregnancy lasts 14 months. Most often, one cub is born.

Water unicorns practically do not tolerate captivity. This is evidenced by the fact that in captivity they can live no more than six months, but in nature they live up to 55 years. The exact number of representatives of narwhals is not known, but they are considered a rare small species listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Video: Narwhals (lat. Monodon monoceros)

Animal narwhal is a marine mammal that belongs to the narwhal family. It belongs to the order of cetaceans. This is a very remarkable animal. Narwhals owe their fame to the presence long horn(tusk). It is 3 meters long and sticks out straight from the mouth.

Appearance and features of the narwhal

An adult narwhal reaches a length of about 4.5 meters, and a calf 1.5 meters. At the same time, males weigh about 1.5 tons, and females - 900 kg. More than half of the weight of the animal is fat deposits. Outwardly, narwhals look like belugas.

hallmark narwhal is the presence of a tusk, which is often referred to as a horn. The weight of the tusk is about 10 kg. The tusks themselves are very strong and can bend to the sides for a distance of 30 cm.

To date, the functions of the tusk have not been studied for certain. Previously, it was assumed that the narwhal needed it to attack the victim, as well as so that the animal could break through the ice crust. But modern science this theory was proven to be unfounded. There are two more theories:

    The tusk helps males in attracting females during courtship games, as narwhals love to rub their tusks against each other. Although, in accordance with another theory, narwhals rub their horns to clean them of growths and various mineral deposits. Males also need tusks during mating competitions.

    Narwhal Tusk- this is a very sensitive organ, there are many nerve endings on its surface, so the second theory is that the animal needs a tusk to determine the temperature of the water, pressure environment, electromagnetic frequencies. He also warns his relatives about the danger.

Narwhals are characterized by a rounded head, small eyes, a large, massive forehead, a small, low-lying mouth. The shade of the body is slightly lighter than the shade of the head. The belly is light. There are many gray-brown spots on the back and sides of the animal.

Narwhals have absolutely no teeth. Only on the upper jaw there are two rudiments. In males, over time, the left tooth turns into a tusk. In the process of its growth, it pierces the upper lip.

The tusks curl clockwise and somewhat resemble a corkscrew. Scientists have not figured out why the tusk grows on the left side. It still remains an unfathomable mystery. In rare cases, both teeth can transform into horns in a narwhal. Then it will be two-horned, as seen in narwhal animal photo.

The right tooth of the narwhal is hidden in the upper gum and does not have any effect on the life of the animal. However, science certainly knows that if sea ​​unicorn narwhal breaks his horn, then the wound in its place will be covered with bone tissue, and a new horn will no longer grow in that place.

Such animals continue to live full life without experiencing any discomfort from the absence of a horn. Another feature sea ​​animal narwhal is the absence of a dorsal fin. It swims with the help of lateral fins and a powerful tail.

Narwhal habitat

Narwhals are animals of the Arctic. It is the cold habitat that explains the presence of a large layer of subcutaneous fat in these animals. The favorite places of these peculiar mammals are the waters of the Arctic Ocean, the region of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland, near Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. In the cold season, they can be found in the White and Bering Seas.

The nature and lifestyle of the narwhal

Narwhals are inhabitants of the waters among the ice. autumn arctic unicorns narwhals migrate south. They find polynyas in the ice that covers the water. The whole herd of narwhals breathes through these polynyas. If the polynya is covered with ice, then the males break the ice with their heads. In summer, animals, on the contrary, move in a northerly direction.

Narwhal feels great at a depth of up to 500 meters. On the sea ​​depth Narwhal can be without air for 25 minutes. Narwhals are herd animals. They form small flocks: 6-10 individuals.

They communicate with sounds, like beluga whales. The enemies of arctic animals are and, for cubs, the polar ones are dangerous.

Narwhal nutrition

Sea unicorns feed on deep-sea fish species such as, polar cod, polar cod, sea red. They also love cephalopods, squids and.

They hunt at depths up to 1 km. The functional teeth of the narwhal, according to scientists, are used to suck in and throw out a stream of water.

This makes it possible to dislodge prey, such as mollusks or benthic. Narwhals have very flexible necks, allowing them to explore large areas and capture moving prey.



Reproduction and lifespan of narwhal

Reproduction in these mammals is slow. They have puberty occurs at the age of five. An interval of 3 years is observed between births.

Mating season is spring. Pregnancy lasts 15.3 months. As a rule, female sea unicorns give birth to one cub, very rarely two. The cubs are large in size, their length is about 1.5 meters.

After giving birth, females unite in a separate flock (10-15 individuals). Males live in a separate flock (10-12 individuals). The duration of lactation is not exactly known by scientists.

But it is assumed that, like belugas, it is about 20 months. Copulation occurs in a belly to belly position. Cubs are born tail first.

Narwhal is a free-spirited animal. In freedom, it is characteristic long duration life, approximately 55 years. They do not live in captivity. The narwhal begins to languish and die within a few weeks. The maximum lifespan of a narwhal in captivity was 4 months. Narwhals never breed in captivity.