Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea

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The witty comic-strip illustrations are simple, yet full of character, and are rendered using a predominantly blue and yellow palette, with occasional splashes of colour. a b c Laidre, K. L.; Stirling, I.; Lowry, L.; Wiig, Ø.; Heide-Jørgensen, M. P. & Ferguson, S. (2008). "Quantifying the sensitivity of arctic marine mammals to climate-induced habitat change". Ecological Applications. 18 (2): S97–S125. doi: 10.1890/06-0546.1. PMID 18494365. S2CID 23765771. Drone footage of wild narwhals captured by Researchers from WWF-Canada shows them using their spiral tusk, to hunt fish. Drone footage is enlightening because the drones are able to collect data in a way which is largely unobtrusive and they don't seem to affect the behaviour of the animals that are studied.'

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the narwhal a species of least concern, meaning their population is not under significant threat. The IUCN estimates that there are about 123,000 mature individuals divided into 12 subpopulations within the Arctic.

Narwhals spend most of their time in small pods then join other pods during their migration season. (Image credit: Kristin Laidre/NOAA) Cultural significance The purpose of a narwhal’s tusk has been unclear to scientists for quite some time. Charles Darwin believed that male narwhals use their tusks to compete for female mates, and modern researchers also lean towards this theory. Because tusks are only found on male narwhals, they’re likely not used for survival purposes like hunting or eating. However, nerve endings on the tusk’s surface suggest that it has some sensory use.

a b c Evans Ogden, Lesley (6 January 2016). "Elusive narwhal babies spotted gathering at Canadian nursery". New Scientist . Retrieved 6 September 2016. a b Vincent, James (19 March 2014). "Scientists suggest they have the answer to the mystery of the narwhal's tusk". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022 . Retrieved 31 March 2014. Males use the tusks to determine social status, dominance over other males, and compete for mating females. 6. Narwhals use their tusks to hunt for fish. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.The narwhal tusk is made of ivory, and is actually a tooth, that spirals out of the upper left side of the jaw and through their lip. They can extend up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh as much as 22 pounds (10 kg). K. Laidre (2010). “Narwhals document continued warming of southern Baffin Bay”, via Wiley Online Library. Narwhal management today poses a challenge as governments and communities seek to balance conservation with cultural and subsistence requirements. How do scientists find them and study them? The IUCN classify their conservation status as ‘ least concern‘, with recent estimates suggesting the total population of narwhal is upwards of 170,000. 1 Interesting Narwhal Facts 1. In 1577 the English explorer Martin Frobisher laid eyes on a dead narwhal, describing it as a ‘sea-unicorn’.

Narwhals feed mainly on Greenland halibut, Arctic and polar cod, squid and shrimp. It appears that narwhals find their winter food supplies down towards the seafloor (down to 1 mile depths even!) and in the spring, find their food near the ice edge. Dives to the depths at which a narwhal goes typically last between 25 and 30 minutes, including the time spent at the bottom and the time spent ascending and descending. According to this, Narwhals can hold their breath for a minimum of 25 minutes. Brodie, Paul (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 200–203. ISBN 978-0-87196-871-5. The narwhal was one of many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. [7] Its name is derived from the Old Norse word nár, meaning "corpse", in reference to the animal's greyish, mottled pigmentation, like that of a drowned sailor [8] and its summertime habit of lying still at or near the surface of the sea (called "logging"). [9] The scientific name, Monodon monoceros, is derived from Greek: "one-tooth one-horn". [8]Narwhals tend to travel in groups of 15 to 20, though larger gatherings of hundreds or even thousands of individuals have been observed. They use sound to communicate with each other, as well as to navigate their surroundings, hunt, and see.

a b c Shepard, Odell (2013). The Lore of the Unicorn. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p.176. ISBN 978-1-4565-6952-5. In addition, an increase in ship traffic will likely result in more deadly collisions. Narwhals, similar to other whales, rely on hearing to understand their environment. Human-made sources of noise can interfere with the narwhals' ability to hear and communicate and could inhibit their ability to locate their pod members, find food or mates, navigate and avoid predators. Narwhals’ extensive migrations follow the formation and retreat of annual sea ice. Some can travel thousands of miles in a single year.A calf is another name for baby narwhals. A calf is born every three years after a gestation period of 15 months, based on the scant data that is available. A calf’s birth weight is 180 pounds, and it stands at 1.5 meters (5 feet). At least 20 months are spent with the mother and her calf. Narwhals mate in mid-April and give birth to a calf in July, which is when they are most active. 5. Has Anyone Ever Been Killed By A Narwhal? This grows from the front right side of its upper jaw. 4. The tusk is an ‘ivory’ canine tooth, that spirals out of the upper left side of the jaw. Unfortunately, scientists have observed narwhals displaying a paradoxical combination of both freezing and fleeing. When caught in nets, they appear to freeze up and lower their heartbeats to an extremely low three to four beats per minute. At the same time, they break free from the net and flee at top speeds, somehow maintaining a low heart rate even after swimming for a significant period of time. The consequences of this reaction aren’t yet known, but scientists fear it puts a massive strain on the narwhals’ hearts and could even result in sudden death. Do all narwhals have horns? Skovrind, M.l; Castruita, J. A. S.; Haile, J.; etal. (2019). "Hybridization between two high Arctic cetaceans confirmed by genomic analysis". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 7729. Bibcode: 2019NatSR...9.7729S. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44038-0. PMC 6586676. PMID 31221994.