2007-03-18 05:23:52 · 2 answers · asked by droole_33 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Toothed whales(sperm whale, narwhal, pilot whale, etc) do not have saliva. As for Baleen whales (Blue whale, humpbacks, etc), I could not find any info about them not having saliva...so I would assume that they do.
2007-03-18 05:55:15 · answer #1 · answered by Carrie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, toothed whales don't have saliva... A more interesting question may be: "Why don't toothed whales need saliva?"
Toothed whales have an organ called the melon on their head, which is used as a lens to focus their sound waves. Vocal chords are not present; their sounds are produced in the blowhole system instead. Toothed whales have lost their sense of smell, as well as their saliva glands.
Most animals have three major pairs of salivary glands that differ in the type of secretion they produce:
parotid glands produce a serous, watery secretion
submaxillary (mandibular) glands produce a mixed serous and mucous secretion
sublingual glands secrete a saliva that is predominantly mucous in character
Most animals have three major pairs of salivary glands that differ in the type of secretion they produce:
parotid glands produce a serous, watery secretion
submaxillary (mandibular) glands produce a mixed serous and mucous secretion
sublingual glands secrete a saliva that is predominantly mucous in character
2007-03-18 09:05:40 · answer #2 · answered by bwlobo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋