Fun Facts About Whales For Kids - Whales are the biggest mammals on Earth and the largest organism found in the ocean. There are several interesting facts about whales which you might find interesting reading about.
A whale is a large mammal that lives in the water. They are a diverse group of animals that are widely distributed in the oceans. They are an informal subgroup of the class Cetacea, which includes dolphins, porpoises, and even-toed ungulates. There are more than 400 species of cetaceans worldwide. The common name for whales is baleen whales.
A whale's voice is the result of its metabolism. It uses stored fats to cope with prolonged periods of abundance and starvation. This is similar to the chemical reaction of hemoglobin in human blood, which provides additional storage for long dives. The metabolic rate of a whale is able to cope with prolonged periods of accumulation of blubber and prolonged starvation. This explains the unusual adaptations of this mammal's behavior.
The blowholes resemble those of a short snorkel. When swimming, whales breathe through their heads. Their blowholes point backward so they can easily come up to the surface for air. With a short, shallow snorkel, the blowholes are at the front of the head. This makes it easier for them to breathe when surfacing. These ridges help them stay underwater.
The baleen of a rorqual whale is made up of 260 to 400 black plates that hang down from each side of the upper jaw. The fringed plates are extremely long, extending from 20 inches (51 cm) at the front to 40 inches (102 cm) at the back. The rorqual whale has the longest baleen of any whale. It makes the most sounds, but is still difficult to identify. Its sounds are so similar that it is impossible to tell them apart by sight.
The whale is one of the most popular mammals in the oceans. Most species live in colder waters and migrate to the equator to give birth. They are capable of traveling thousands of miles without feeding. Most whale species are more than ten feet long, although their size varies by species. There are also dwarf sperm whales, which are only two meters long and bear a striking resemblance to their larger namesakes. Blue whales are among the largest and most majestic of all whales, weighing more than 200 kilograms.
Whales sing and communicate using a variety of methods. Their songs are loud and low frequency and can be heard for miles. These songs are often repeated in chorus. Unlike humans, whales do not communicate through language. Instead, they use body language to signal their intentions. Some males hop, lunge, or clap their tails. Other types of communication include clicking and high-pitched whistles.
The whales use their huge mouths to catch their prey. It pounces on its prey with a large volume of water. This allows the food to pass through its large, flexible jaws and is then filtered out. Some whales also use bubble netting techniques to concentrate their prey. These animals spend most of their time in polar waters during the summer. If they are unable to find a suitable food source, they can easily become confused.
Whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have baleen plates called whale bones, which they use to scrape away food. In addition, these animals have a huge tongue that they use to spit food into their mouths. A single blue whale can eat up to 30,000 pounds of food in a single day. Although not a large fish, it is a large animal and can be dangerous.
These mammals are considered mammals, which means they must breathe air. They also give birth to live young that stay with their mother for a year. They nurse their young from their mother. During this time, they give birth to a live baby. These babies are fed by the mother whale, who is called the female. They also communicate with other males by using body language. Another method of communication is singing in and out of water.
In modern literature, whales are often main characters. In Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, a bull whale named Mocha Dick, the "great white whale" (an albino sperm whale), is the antagonist. A story about a whale called "How the Whale Got In His Throat" appears in Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories.
Whales are big animals full of several mysteries. Have fun reading about whales and remember to share this page.