CLASSIFICATION OF HUMPBACK WHALE: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae Genus: Megaptera
Species: noveaeangliae -All mammals give birth to live young, thermoregulate
(keep their internal body temperatures stable as outside conditions
vary), have mammary glands, and hair. -Other animals in the Cetacea
order include more whales, porpoises, and dolphins. There are 90
species of cetaceans known to man. Cetaceans have a muscular tail
with flukes, blubber for warmth and buoyancy. They are often hunted
for this blubber, to be used by man for oil and soap. -There are
two types of whales: Toothed and Baleen Toothed whales include Orcas,
sperm whales, dolphins, and porpoises, etc. Toothed whales have
one blowhole opening. They swallow food whole and mainly feed on
fish, squid, seals, shark, otters etc. There are 80 species of toothed
whales. Baleen whales include the humpback, fin, minke, blue, gray
whales etc. There are 11 species of baleen whales known. Baleen
whales filter feed using large keratin plates called baleen, which
hang from the top of their mouths. Baleen is made of the same material
as our hair and nails. They take large gulps of water, some even
have folds in their throat to allow it to stretch while feeding,
close their mouths and filter the water out through the spaces between
plates of baleen. Left behind is the krill, plankton, shrimp, and
squid, which can be scraped off the baleen by the whale's tongue.
Baleen whales tend to make up most of the larger whales with the
blue whale being the largest creature on earth.
GENERAL WHALE INFORMATION A. Migration of whales: Some whales
are migratory and travel north and south to breed and give birth,
while others are residential and remain in the same area to feed,
mate, and give birth. Some travel in groups called pods, while others
travel alone. Migratory patterns are unique to each species. B.
Size: Cetaceans can range in size from a few feet and 100 pounds
to 100 feet and 200 tons. Some species already weigh two tons at
birth. c. Communication: Most whales have the ability to communicate
with one another by echolocation, vocalizations, or displays out
of, and under water. Whales use echolocation as sound that is composed
of waves that can be emitted through the water. When these sound
waves hit an object, they become interrupted and as a result, break
up. On land, sound waves do not travel overly far due to the many
objects (trees, buildings, walls) that potentially can block them.
With oceans being so extremely vast, this enables sound emitted
in the water to travel for some distance away. The paths of the
sound waves can reach whales ranging a ways apart. d) Respiration:
They breathe with lungs and use a blowhole with either one or two
openings to breath. Some species can go over on hour without coming
up for air. Cetaceans also have the ability to dive up to 7000 feet
under water. They have collapsible lungs to deal with pressure changes
and which helps keep nitrogen out of their bloodstreams. They have
adapted lungs that store higher concentrations of oxygen than most
mammals.
HUMPBACK FACTS -Baleen whales can be found in every ocean in the
world. -One of the largest creatures on earth, weighing up to forty
tons -Migrate in groups north and south along coastlines to feed,
mate, and give birth -Exhibit social behaviors like spyhopping,
lobtailing, breaching, singing, and tail slapping. Most photos are
a result of one of these behaviors. -Humpback populations were dangerously
low before laws on commercial and subsistence whaling were passed.
Now populations are estimated at 40,000. -Still many problems facing
humpback populations today-illegal hunting, over fishing, pollution,
and a low reproduction rate. Like with many whales, females will
only give birth to one well-developed calf after carrying for approximately
one year. As a result of the birth rate, many of the species populations
is at the mercy of Whalers. The process is simple; whalers harpoon
the whales from a boat as taught by their native ancestors. Due
to this exploitation, nearly all great whales can be classified
as endangered.
TRACKING/IDENTIFYING WHALES IN THE WILD -Most whale species have
a distinct feature that researchers utilize to track individual
whales or groups of whales. Some examples- *Orcas-saddle behind
the dorsal fin *Gray-lumps of barnacles on the front of their head
*Humpbacks-white patterns on underside of tail flukes -Researchers
use these distinctions to help understand family patterns as well
as migratory patterns of whale groups. They can also more easily
document which whales are appearing in what areas on an annual basis.
The websites mentioned are a helpful guide to this outline and have
many pictures, which would be useful in the lecture part of the
activity.
EXTINCTION: The whaling industry, or the process of whaling, can
cause serious ecological effects. The extinction of whales can result
in a disturbance in species interactions of the aquatic environment.
Just as humans rely on other species to survive, some marine species
such as barnacles use the whale to survive. Extinction has serious
and irreversible consequences. *For more detailed information or
some good pictures of humpbacks, refer to websites listed.*
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