2006-09-03 03:03:59 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
The Narwhal (meaning "corpse whale" in Old Norse) is a rarely seen Arctic whale. This social whale is known for the VERY long tooth that males have. Very little is known about this whale. All narwhals have two teeth in their upper jaw. After the first year of a male narwhal's life, its left tooth grows outward, spirally. This long, single tooth projects from its upper jaw and can grow to be 7-10 feet (2-3 m) long. Narwhals can grow to be about 16 feet (4.9 m) long (not counting the tooth), and weigh about 1.8 tons (1.6 tonnes).It has bluish-gray with white blotches (young narwhals are brown). Narwhals have a cylindrical body (with no dorsal fin) and a round head with a small mouth on their blunt snout. The duration of a narwhal dive is from 7-20 minutes. Narwhals maximum life span is about 50 years.Narwhals eat fish, squid, shrimp, and other marine animals. The following is narwal classification:
Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Phylum Chordata (vertebrates)
Class Mammalia (mammals)
Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales)
Superfamily Delphinoidea (oceanic dolphins and some whales)
Family Monodontidae (Narwhals and Beluga whales)
Genus Monodon
Species monoceros
2006-09-03 22:49:50 · answer #1 · answered by ♥ lani s 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A narwhal is a small arctic toothed whale that is closely related to the beluga. The male has a single tusk that grows out. The tusk can be about 10ft .long. It's been nicknamed the unicorn of the sea. It is possible that the narhwal could use it as a defense against killer whales or polar bears, their main predators, or use it to pierce the ice covering the Narwhal's arctic habitat. Marine biologist are really not sure what it is main purpose is.
2006-09-03 08:24:31 · answer #2 · answered by megatron 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A narwhal is a species of whale that lives in arctic waters. Its nearest relative is the white coloured Beluga whale (they are the only two whale species in the Monodontidae family)
They are can grow up to 4-5 metres long and the males have a single tusk which grows from their upper jawThe tusk can be up to 3 metres long.
The name 'Narwhal' comes from the old Norse word meaning 'corpse man. This is thought to be because of the mottled grey colourong of their skin which looks 'corpse like'. They are also called Moon Whales and the Unicorn of the Sea.
2006-09-03 07:13:52 · answer #3 · answered by ukstubby 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a whale living in the arctic waters. The male (usually the male) has a long tusk made of ivory
2006-09-03 03:06:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A small whale living in the Arctic waters.
2006-09-03 11:27:36 · answer #5 · answered by POPPY 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
google it...its not rocket science
unicorns of the sea.
2006-09-03 04:12:45 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
'nar' is man. 'whal' is whale. Hence he-whale
2006-09-03 04:10:04 · answer #7 · answered by itsd2b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋