Immediately I would like to answer the question of our readers about who the narwhal - an animal or a fish.This mammal related to cetaceans.This is the only monodontidae.
Animal narwhal, or unicorn water, lives in the Arctic Ocean, it is a close relative of the beluga and belongs to the family of cetacean mammals.
Appearance
This is a very large animal - narwhal.Its weight (male) up to 1.5 tons.The length of an adult - 4.5 meters, up to six meters - the length of the calf.The weight of the adult narwhal more than half of the fat.Females more graceful, their weight - only 900 kilograms.
narwhals Externally very similar to the beluga.But they are distinguished by a huge horn.Often referred to as the tusk.This is a major and lasting education of 2-3 meters in length and weighing 10 kg.Tusks are able to bend in different directions without breaking.
What narwhal horn
functions tusk is still not fully understood.However, scientists now say with confidence that it is not designed to pierce the icy crust, or the attack on the victim.
First version was announced that the animal narwhal uses his horn in courtship - in order to attract females.It was based on observations.The fact that the mating season these giant animals really are constantly in contact with their tusks.
In 2005, a scientific expedition, observe the life of narwhals, came to the conclusion that this education is extremely sensitive.In studying it was found a huge number of nerve endings on the surface thereof.
Scientists have seen once again how unique narwhal (animal).Measure the temperature and the frequency of electromagnetic waves tusk - the next version of its destination.
Hypersensitivity tusk
narwhal horn revered and dearly valued in different cultures - it can be a decoration of the royal palaces and thrones.In England, the Narwhal tusk became a royal scepter.Queen Elizabeth at a tusk of the northern giant paid in the XVI century, a fantastic sum for those times - 10 thousand pounds.This money could build a castle.What is so remarkable process?
narwhals belong to the suborder of the fewer so-called toothed whales.Despite this, they actually - being toothless.On the lower jaw teeth have trouble, and on the top there are only two germ.In pups can be six pairs of upper and lower teeth a couple, but they quickly fall out, and left in place the tooth in the male begins to develop a tusk, which at the time of maturity of the animal reaches 2-3 meters in length, 7-10 cm in thickness and more10 kg.Long tusks decorate only males.The female horn direct and shorter.Very rarely, but it happens that both tooth females degenerate into tusks;and males left canine gets a horn, but these are rare exceptions.
narwhal tusk on its surface has a spiral struychatost (cutting), which considerably increases its strength.This thread is there for a long time: the forward motion of the animal's tusk, overcoming strong resistance to water, slowly rotates around its own axis.As a result, the hole cut into the wall of the spiral grooves formed on its surface.
very rare males with two tusks, which were formed from two teeth.According to statistics, these animals are found one on 500 adults.
Surprisingly, even today, the animal narwhal, and in particular the horn, remain a mystery to scientists around the world.It is poorly understood.
Today researchers believe that the narwhal tusk allows you to feel the change in temperature, pressure, concentration of suspended particles in the water.
Lifestyle
Narwhal - the animal (photo we posted this article), which in winter sinks to a depth of 1.5 km.This is necessary to protect themselves from the icy Arctic waters.After a while, he rises to the surface for air and again goes into depth.During the day, he makes about 15 such dives.In addition, a reliable protection from the cold at a narwhal blubber.Its fiber sometimes exceeds 10 cm. In summer, the animals are usually found at depths of 30 to 300 m.
Power
Arctic Animal - Narwhal - feeds mainly on cephalopods and various kinds of bottom fish.The main enemies of these powerful animals - whales and polar bears.At the young sharks sometimes attack.
Family
Animal narwhal can live alone or in a small group, which was composed of 10 adult males or females with offspring.
Previously, these giants have created large herds numbering several hundreds, and sometimes thousands of animals.Today is rare to find a group of more than a hundred heads.Sometimes they are joined by the beluga.
like other herd whales, these animals communicate with each other using vocalizations.Most often it is a sharp sound like whistling, groaning, clicks, moo, gurgles, squeaks.
Reproduction
Mating occurs in the spring.Pregnancy lasts 14 months, a full cycle of reproduction is 2-3 years.Usually one is born, much less two cubs.Sexual maturity to 7 years.Cases of breeding these animals in captivity are not registered.
female baby brings up a very fat milk 20 months.
Life in captivity
Water unicorn refers to a small group of animals, which do not tolerate slavery.This is evidenced by the irrefutable fact that more than six months in prison has not survived any animal, while in the wild they live up to 55 years.The exact number of narwhals is not set, but they are few, rare species, which is already listed in the Red Book of Russia.
With full confidence can be called one of the wonders of the Arctic, the sole and unique in its kind.
Habitat
We have already mentioned that these powerful animals live in the harsh northern climes.The most common in the seas of the Arctic, the Arctic Ocean.Narwhals can be found off the coast of Greenland, and in northern parts of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
small groups registered in the northeast of Franz Josef Land, is very rare - between Barrow and Cape Kolyma.This is due to lack of fodder - there is little cephalopods."North Pole" registered group narwhals north of Wrangel Island.They live in the cold waters of the Arctic ice at the edges, make seasonal migration in the summer - to the north, and in the winter - to the south.
Meat aquatic unicorns eat the peoples of the north.They used the fat of these animals as a means of lamp (wick).The intestines are used to make ropes, twines.But especially valuable is the mysterious horn or tusk.From a northern craftsmen produced a variety of crafts.
population
Animal narwhal - malochislenny species on the verge of extinction.In the Middle Ages because of its horn, which, according to the shamans, has magical powers, these mammals destroyed in large quantities.
Even today, an unusual tusk may cause the killing of animals.They are hunted Eskimos.When hunting in the old days used hand-held harpoons, today used boats and automatic devices for killing narwhals.
Anyone who raised a hand to this rare animal, need to know that they are living indicators of the ecosystem, they feel the slightest change in climate sensitive to pollution.
