Beluga Whale

By: J. H.

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Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus Species | Works Cited

Kingdom:Animalia back to top

• multi-cellular

• heterotrophs

• most ingest food and digest it in an internal cavity

• most are diploid

• most reproduce sexually

Phylum:Chordata back to top

• bilateral symmetry

• segmented body including segmented muscles

• tail protecting beyond the anus at some stage of development

• complete digestive system

• three germ layers and a well developed coelom

• single, dorsal, hollow nerve cord usually with an enlarged anterior end

• ventral heart with dorsal and ventral blood vessels and a closed blood system

• pharyngeal pouches present at some stage of development

Class: Mammalia back to top

• hair

• 3middle ear bones

• mammary glands

• may serve to camouflage, to announce the presence of especially good defense systems or to communicate social information

• they feed their newborn young with milk, a substance rich in fats and protein that is produced by modified sweat glands called mammary glands

Order:Cetacea back to top

• cetaceans live, breed, rest, and carry out all their life functions in the water

• have a fusiform, or streamlined body shaped; paddle shaped front limbs; restigical hind limbs; no external digits or claws

• can dive for extended periods of time to great depths

• they are considered some of the most derived mammals on the planet

• have remarkably efficient lungs and circulatory systems

• they are thought to be the most intelligent non-primates and many have proportionately large brains

Family: Monodontidae back to top

• medium sized  whales

• short broad snout

• make a sort of thrilling sound

• sometimes known as "sea canaries"

• generally found in schools, sometimes including more than 100 individuals

• feed mainly on the bottom, consuming a number of species of fish and invertebrates

• migrate in response to the shifting ice pack

• have a broadly expanded facial depression;this holds the melon, a fatty deposit believed to function in echolocation

Genius and Species:Delphinapterus,Delphinapterus leucas back to top

    Can you think of an animal that moos? Nope not a cow... a Beluga Whale! Beluga Whales can grow up to be 16 feet, and 3000 pounds. They have a lifespan of 35-50 years. Beluga Whales have characteristics that make them different from all other whales.

    Beluga Whales have many physical characteristics that help them survive. For example, they have a melon-shaped head. This helps  them because it shows if they are healthy. They also have a strongly-forked tail. This allows them to move throughout the ocean. They make many sounds to communicate with each other as they travel in groups of 5-20 whales in the water of the Arctic Ocean. These moos, squeaks, twitters, and whistles are how they got the name "sea canary". Beluga Whales have many features that help them live in the ocean.

    Beluga Whales live in the cold regions of the Arctic Ocean. They inhabit fjoras, estuaries, and  shallow water in Arctic Ocean. There also found in large rivers like the Yukon. They migrate up rivers in the summer months. They do this because they need to find more fish to eat. Beluga Whales feed mainly on fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, and squid. They eat 60 pounds of food a day. Beluga Whales are found in cold bodies of water all over the world.

    Beluga Whales have many different traits that seperate them from other whales. They have a melon-shaped head, strongly forked tail, and make noises to communicate. Beluga Whales migrate, and live in cold parts of the Arctic Ocean, and they eat lots of fish. Everything has their own way of living.

Works Cited back to top

Fahey , Bridget. Delphinapterus leucas. 08 Feb. 1996. 16 Apr. 2003 <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu>.

Mrs. Muzzy

Home Page. 16 Apr. 2003 <http://www.whalecovehotel.com/whale-coveimages/beluga-whale-calf-whale-cove214.JPG>.