Species of the Month

This month’s species of the month is the largest critter to ever roam the planet. Even bigger than the biggest dinosaur, the blue whale is wide-spread but seldom seen. Hunter to near extinction, they now number just a few thousand. Hopefully these gentle giants will fully recover.

Blue whale (NPS)

Scientific name: Balaenoptera musculus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class:   Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Cetacea (dolphins and whales)

Range: Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans from the near-polar regions to the equator

Habitat: Open ocean

Lifespan: Estimated to be 80 to 90 years

Diet: Krill, small fish, small crustaceans, copepods

Predators: Humans, sharks and killer whales prey on calves

Conservation Status: Listed as endangered by IUCN and under ESA.

Blue whale spouting (NPS)

Other Information: Blue whales were hunted for oil and blubber. They have been protected since 1966. Blue whales are baleen whales, those that do not have teeth but instead have bristle-like filters. An adult can eat up to four tons of krill in a day. Not much is known about their reproduction. Males and females mature at about five years old, and females give birth every other or every third year. Gestation is about a year. Most blue whales are migratory, spending winters in the tropics and summers in the high latitudes. Dives can last 10-20 minutes between breaths. Blue whales are vocal, but their songs are too low for humans to hear. Like other whales, blues fluke (tail emerges from the water), breach (entire body emerges), spyhop (head is exposed), and spout (back and blowhole exposed, the whale exhales).

Blue whale fluking (NPS)

This week’s information comes from the University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web.