Narwhal : Strange Species

Narwhal

A narwhal also known as narwhale is found around the arctic continent. It has a long straight helical tusk which exceeds the length of whole body with age. The tusk keeps growing for the whole life and may reach up to 5.5 meters. This special feature of narwhal is actually an elongated upper left canine in males. Generally females don’t grow tusks but a very small number of females too have elongated tusks which are generally smaller than those constituted by males. Most of the males have only one tusk but there are exceptions too. One in 500 narwhals is reported to have two tusks which is the result of elongation of the upper right tusk. The right tusk is always smaller and less straight then the left one.

The average length of a male narwhal is about 4.1 meters which is larger than an average female (3.5 meters). Males attain puberty at about 11 to 13 years of age and females reach sexual maturity at about 5 to 8 years of age.

The helical tusk of narwhal is hollow and weights around 10 kg only. Narwhals are very similar to beluga whales as they are of around of same length. They have a white skin with blackish brown patches. The color of a narwhal changes with age as narwhal infant is too dark and whiteness increases with age. they develop white patches on the naval and genital portions when sexual maturity is attained. An old narwhal is completely white in color.

Narwhals feed predominantly on squid, Greenland halibut, polar and arctic cod, cuttlefish, wolfish and sometines rocks. Due to this restricted diet, they are prone to danger.


Inuit people in northern Canada and Greenland have harvested narwhals for thousands of years for meat and ivory and their population is considered stable because of prevented and sustainable hunting, though, they are too sensitive to climate change and have a very specialized diet. For this reason, they have been declared as Near Threatened by IUCN.
Credits: Image Source- Google Images

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