Narwhals, Features, Distribution, Conservation Status

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Narwhals Latest News

In a first, scientists have studied and captured footage of the iconic narwhals of the Arctic using their tusks to hunt.

It is also known as a narwhale (Monodon monoceros), is a medium-sized toothed whale.
It has a big horn-like tusk which gives them a very distinctive appearance.

Narwhals change color as they age. Newborns are a blue-gray, juveniles are blue-black and adults are a mottled gray. Old narwhals are nearly all white.
The tusk is, in fact, a tooth that grows out of the male’s upper jaw and has sensory capability and up to 10 million nerve endings inside.
It is believed that the tusk plays a role in competition for mates, including mating displays.
It uses tusks in the wild to investigate, manipulate and influence the behavior of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), including delivering sufficient force with their tusks to stun and possibly kill the fish.
They exhibited remarkable dexterity, precision and speed of movement of the tusk, and regularly made adjustments to track the moving target. The tusk, especially the tip of the tusk, was used to interrogate and manipulate the target by brief contacts.
Narwhals are polygynous and mating usually occurs from March to May.
They give birth to a single calf and they are born tail first. The tusks of males do not grow until they are weaned when they are about one year old.
Diet: Narwhals feed on Greenland halibut, Arctic and polar cod, squid and shrimp.
Distribution of Narwhals: They spend their lives in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia.
Threats: Oil and gas development and climate change pose threats to narwhals.
Conservation Status of Narwhals
- IUCN: Near Threatened