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Dec 29, 2021 · Sperm whales have between 36-60 teeth–all located on their bottom jaw (mandible). Sperm whales very rarely have teeth in their upper jaw. Instead, their upper jaw is full of sockets that the teeth on the bottom fit into.
Sperm whales have conical teeth on their long, narrow, lower jaw. The teeth fit neatly into sockets in the upper jaw, which has no teeth. This arrangement is a perfect adaptation for slurping up soft-bodied squids—giant or otherwise.
The sperm whale's ivory-like teeth were often sought by 18th- and 19th-century whalers, who used them to produce inked carvings known as scrimshaw. 30 teeth of the sperm whale can be used for ivory. Each of these teeth, up to 20 cm (8 in) and 8 cm (3 in) across, are hollow for the first half of their length.
May 21, 2024 · The sperm whale is the most evolutionarily modified of the toothed whales. The head constitutes one-third of the total body length and, it is estimated, greater than a third of the body weight. The lower jaw is usually equipped with 36 to 50 large conical teeth ; the upper jaw holds a variable number of vestigial teeth that do not erupt.
Nov 29, 2021 · The sperm whale has the largest teeth of any whale species. Sperm whales only have teeth on their lower jaw — their upper jaw has sockets for teeth to rest in – and their teeth can reach incredible lengths. Sperm whale teeth can measure 4 to 8 inches and weigh up to 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram).
Aug 11, 2021 · Sperm whale teeth are cone-shaped and can be up to 7.9 inches (20 centimeters) long and weigh 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) each, according to the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network, a research and ...
Sperm whale teeth are composed of ivory, a dense, hard tissue made primarily of dentin, with a layer of cementum on the surface and sometimes a thin layer of enamel at the tips. Their teeth are uniquely adapted for grasping large, slippery prey such as squid deep in the ocean.
Each sperm whale bears 20 to 26 banana-shaped teeth on its lower jaw, which fit into sockets in the upper jaw. Upper teeth are rudimentary and may not show, but lower teeth may each weigh as much as two pounds (32 ounces).
Certain species of dolphins have over 160 teeth; in some species of beaked whales, however, the teeth of females will never develop to protrude out of the gums. The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales; it has between 30 and 60 teeth, which develop on the lower mandible only.
Sperm Whale Shows His Teeth. (© Nathalie Jaquet) A male sperm whale feeding near the surface. Sperm whales are a toothed whale, rather than a baleen whale, and are found throughout the world's oceans.
