What's the use of narwhal horns? When do you breed? How long is the life span?

Narwhals are called "unicorns" because of a long "horn" sticking out of their head, but they are not narwhals' horns, but their teeth, which can be up to 2.7 meters long. What's the use of narwhal horns? When do you breed? How long is the life span?

Narwhals' tusks are sensory organs that help them sense changes in the external environment, according to a study published in 2014 in the journal Anatomy Records. Male narwhals can also use tusks to find food and mates.

The researchers found that the outer cementum of narwhal tusks is porous, the inner dentine layer has tiny channels leading to the middle, and the central part of the dental pulp has nerve endings that are directly connected to the animal's brain. This structure makes tusks very sensitive to temperature and chemical changes in the environment. For example, when tusks were exposed to different concentrations of salt water, the researchers found that the heart rate of narwhals also changed. Narwhals can "taste" the concentration of chemicals in the water, so the researchers believe that male narwhals may use tusks to find food, and they also seem to be able to find females and prepare to mate.

In addition to helping narwhals find food, tusks can also be used to process food. for example, male narwhals track cod with tusks, and when tusks are close enough to cod, narwhals quickly stun cod with tusks and enjoy it slowly. These findings have excited researchers enough, but they will continue to explore and discover more secrets about the tusks of unicorn whales.

In what month do narwhals breed? How long is the life span?

Narwhals are seasonal breeders, the gestation period is about 15.3 months, the mating season is from March to May, and the next year is July and August. The lactation duration is unknown, and the guess is similar to the 20-month lactation period of beluga whales. The interval of rebirth is usually 3 years. Each birth gives birth to one calf (there are also some records of twins). The calf tail is separated from the mother's womb first, and the newborn whale is 25 mm thick and 1.5 to 1.7 meters long. It weighs 80kg and can swim after birth, but it is still raised by female whales for a period of time. Females are usually sexually mature at the age of 4-7 years. Mature females are 4m long and weigh 900kg, while males are 4.7m long and weigh 1600 kg. They live for about 50 years in the wild. Captive breeding has not been successful.

The population threat of narwhals

Narwhals' natural enemies are orcas, walruses, polar bears and sharks, but these are not as good as humans. Eskimos have hunted narwhals for their precious tusks and thick skin for centuries, and eating raw skin is their traditional delicacy. Meat is used to feed dogs, blubber and fat can be used for combustion and lighting, and the Inuit people in Canada hunt narwhals with high-speed planes and powerful rifles. Cause unnecessary damage because at least half of the injured narwhals sink or escape, but they still die, and although hundreds of whales are killed each year, the total number of slaughters is often much higher.

Morphological characteristics of narwhal

Narwhals are generally 4 to 5 meters long (excluding tusks), males are slightly longer than females, adult whales weigh an average of 800 to 1600 kilograms, without dorsal fins, neck and vertebrae are connected more like other mammals, unlike dolphins and whales. the abdomen is white, there are many dark brown or black spots on the back, and the skin is very dark at birth. with age, the skin becomes whiter and whiter until sexual maturity There are many white patches on the abdomen, and the older narwhal is almost white, so it may be confused with the beluga whale.

Feeding habits of narwhals

Narwhals are deep divers, foraging at all levels of the ocean, preying on benthos in winter, especially flounder living under thick ice, and feeding mainly on arctic cod, flounder and other fish in summer. Narwhals' feeding behavior is irregular, the time to surface is very short, diving time is usually 7 to 20 minutes, swimming speed is very fast during migration, and they float in circles or move slowly when hunting, all members of the group may float or dive at the same time, may rest on the sea surface for up to 10 minutes, exposing part of their back or a pectoral fin, and tend to rest in depth when the sea is not good.