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- Belugas are the only naturally white cetaceans that exist today, and with their melon-shaped heads and blubbery bodies, they might be the cutest too. Their white skin is an adaptation that lets them thrive in the cold waters of the Arctic, providing them with the necessary camouflage to hide from their predators.
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Current Population Trend: Unknown. Belugas are also called white whales, and their unusual color makes them one of the most familiar and easily distinguishable of all the whales. Calves are born...
Delphinapterus leucas. ( Pallas, 1776) Beluga range. The beluga whale ( / bɪˈluːɡə /; [4] Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. It is also known as the white whale, as it is the only cetacean ...
- Size
- Habitat
- Habits
- Diet
- Offspring
- Classification/Taxonomy
- Conservation Status
Beluga whales are among the smallest species of whales. Adult males range from 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6.1 meters) in length and weigh 2,000 to 3,000 lbs. (907 to 1,361 kilograms), according to National Geographic. Females are slightly smaller. Around 40 percent of the white whale’s body weight is blubber, which keeps them warm and stores energy, accor...
These whales like it cold and are mostly found in the Arctic Ocean. They can live in water that beluga whales live in can be as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).When the ocean starts to freeze, many migrate south to slightly warmer waters, according to National Geographic.
White whales are very social. Groups are called pods, which may have hundreds to thousands of whales, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW). They communicate with one another with sounds like clicks, moos, whistles and clangs. They can also mimic the sounds they hear around them, including human speech. Belugas are known as the "canaries of t...
Beluga whales are carnivores, which means they eat meat. Typically, your average beluga whale isn’t a picky eater, according to the American Cetacean Society. They make meals of snails, salmon, eulachon, crabs, shrimp, clams, octopus, squid, mussels, sandworms, cod and flounder. They also eat a lot — 50 to 60 lbs. (22.7 to 27 kg) of food a day. All...
Beluga whales usually mate when the water is warmer, in March or April. After a gestation of 14 to 15 months, females give birth to babies called calves. Calves are born gray, but will turn white as they mature. They are 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) long and weigh 110 to 130 lbs. (50 to 60 kg). When they get their teeth, at 12 to 18 months, calves wi...
Here is the classification of beluga whales, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System(ITIS): Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odonto...
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, beluga whales are listed as near threatened. The population worldwide is more than 150,000 and their population is well distributed in most places. However, they are hunted by indigenous people in the Arctic and by commercial fisheries. This has led to...
Oct 19, 2023 · Beluga whales’ white skin camouflages them against the white icebergs and glaciers of the Arctic waters. This helps protects them from predation, especially from polar bears. If you’re one to keep your eyes peeled for whales in the ocean, be sure not to miss the strikingly white, melon-headed 16-foot giant, propelling itself through the ...
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Beluga whales are known for their white color and range of vocal sounds, earning them the title of "canary of the sea." They are very social animals, forming groups to hunt, migrate, and interact with each other. Beluga whales are found globally throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters.
- Mammalia
- Chordata
- Cetacea
Whales have been depicted in various cultures worldwide, notably by the Inuit and the coastal peoples of Vietnam and Ghana, who sometimes hold whale funerals. Whales occasionally feature in literature and film. A famous example is the great white whale in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick.
They are sometimes known as the white whale for obvious reasons, as well as the ‘sea canary’ due to its high pitched calls, and melonhead, due to its, erm, melon-shaped head. Beluga whales are stocky in appearance, with a large percentage of it’s body blubber (fat). They can grow up to 6m (20 ft) in length and weigh as much as 1,600 kg (3,500 lbs).
