Do you know these Facts about Blue Whales
Blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. It can be found in all oceans of the world. They usually spend the summer in arctic water and migrate to southern (warmer) waters during winter time. Blue whales are very old creatures - they exist on the Earth 54 million years. Number of blue whales decreased drastically in the first half of the 20th century when whalers hunted them nearly to extinction. Today there are nearby 20000 whales are left.
Blue Whales in the Water-
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Anatomy of Blue Whale:
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Where Blue Whales are found:
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Blue Whale Facts:
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Balaenopteridae |
| Genus: | Balaenoptera |
| Scientific Name: | Balsenoptera musculus |
| Common Name: | Blue Whale |
| Other Name(s): | Northern, Southern, Pygmy |
| Group: | Mammal |
| Number Of Species: | 3 |
| Location: | Oceans worldwide |
| Habitat: | Polar and subtropical waters |
| Colour: | Grey, Blue, White, Black |
| Skin Type: | Smooth |
| Size (L): | 25m - 30m (82.5ft - 100ft) |
| Weight: | 100tonnes - 160tonnes (220,000lbs - 352,000lbs) |
| Top Speed: | 30 miles/hr |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Prey: | Krill, Crustaceans, Small Fish |
| Predators: | Humans, Killer Whale pods |
| Lifestyle: | Diurnal |
| Group Behaviour: | Solitary |
| Life Span: | 80-90 years |
| Age Of Sexual Maturity: | 10- 15 years |
| Gestation Period: | 11 -12 months |
| Average Litter Size: | 1 |
| Name Of Young: | Calf |
| Age Of Weaning: | 8 months |
| Conservation Status: |
Endangered |
| Estimated Population Size: | Less than 20,000 |
| Biggest Threat: | Climate change |
| Most Distinctive Feature: | Pleats on neck and two blow-holes |
| Fun Fact: | The largest animal on Earth |
Additional interesting facts about blue whales:
1. Weight of a blue whale is more than the elephant.
2. Blue whales are the fastest growing animal or plant on Earth.
3. A medium sized dog can comfortably walk through a blue whale’s arteries.
4. Blue whales look blue underwater, but gray above the surface of the water.
5. Blue whales sleep while swimming. Whales use only half of their brain while sleeping.
6. Around 100 people can fit in the mouth of the blue whale, and yet, it eats one of the smallest animals on the planet - krill (shrimp-like invertebrates).
7. Blue whales are filter-feeders. They swallow huge amount of water with krill and filter the food from the water. Instead of teeth, they have keratinous (human nails and hair are made of the same material) plates, called "baleen", which act like a comb, which releases swallowed water and keeps the krill inside the mouth.
8. Blue whale eats 4 to 6 tons of krill every day.
9. Heart of the blue whale is the same size as the Mini Cooper (a car).
10. Female gives birth to one baby after one year of pregnancy. Baby weighs around 3 tons.
11. Baby drinks 100 gallons of milk each day and increases 9 pounds each hour (200 pounds per day).
12. The length of whale is equal to the length of two school busses and their weight equals the weight of 30 adult elephants.