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Beluga Whale

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  Animal class: Mammals– (They are warm-blooded (the body temperature stays about the same temperature without help from the sun), breathe air with lungs, have a 4 chamber heart, have 3 bones in their inner ears, have vertebrae (a backbone or spine), have hair or fur (even whales and dolphins have some hair near their mouths), almost all species have a live birth, but 2 species lay eggs (the platypus and the echidna), all females produce (their bodies make) milk for their young, most have 4 legs or for humans, 2 arms and 2 legs, sizes range from the Bumblebee bat at 1 in (3 cm) to the Blue whale at 100 ft (30 m)) (Examples: Whales, people, dogs, and elephants. There are about 6,500 different species.)
• Diet: Carnivore (They only eat meat)– Salmon and herring, as well as shrimp, crabs, and mollusks
• Lifespan: 35–50 years
• Predators: Polar bears and killer whales (orcas)
• Size: 8.5-22 ft (259- 670 cm) long
• Species: There are about 90 different species of whales, but the Beluga whale’s closest relative is the narwhal.
• Speed: About 17 mph (27 kmh)
• Status: Endangered
• Weight: 1,500-3,500 lbs. (up to 680-1,600 kg)
• Where do they live?: They live in the Arctic Ocean.
• They are brilliant and social animals. They live in groups called “pods.”
• They are called “Sea Canaries,” belugas are one of the most vocal of all whales.
• The rounded structure on their forehead is called a “melon.” Belugas wiggle their melons like a microphone to focus sounds in specific directions.
• They can dive underwater for up to 25 minutes.
• They hunt in groups and will herd their prey to shallower water. Hunting in groups makes it easier for the whales to eat. They swallow it whole when they catch their prey and don’t chew their food.
• Belugas can eat up to 60 lbs. (27 kg) daily.
• They also have the special ability to turn their necks up and down and left and right, which is helpful for hunting. Other whales and dolphins cannot do this.