The lack of a dorsal fin means less surface area for losing heat to the environment. Beluga whales lack dorsal fins, but have a low dorsal ridge. Long ago, scientists and sailors gave beluga whales the nickname “sea canaries,” due to the birdlike sounds these whales make.
Why are beluga whales called Sea Canaries?Ī highly social species, beluga whales are extremely vocal. A beluga whale’s forelimbs are pectoral flippers. Beluga whales are robust and stocky with thick folds of blubber. It may have thick folds of blubber, especially along its ventral surface. What kind of body does a beluga whale have?Ī beluga whale’s body is fusiform, but robust and stocky. The beluga whale is a diurnal and very social animal. The teeth are not designed for chewing, but for grabbing and tearing prey. Belugas are toothed whales with 34 teeth. The flukes (tail) are wide and deeply notched. What type of teeth do beluga whales have?
#Beluga whale knees skin#
Unique Adaptations: Very thick layer of blubber, thick skin, relatively small tail flukes and pectoral flippers, and absence of a dorsal fin are adaptations for life in cold water.īelow the skin is a thick insulating layer of blubber which is considered unusually thick when compared to other Odontocetes (toothed whales). Once a beluga whale receives an echo from its target prey, the beluga is able to interpret distance to that prey and its location. When feeding, belugas use echolocation to find food, emitting a sequence of impulsive sound signals, termed clicks. They often use echolocation to find it and sometimes swallow it whole. Toothed whales such as sperm whales hunt their prey one by one. Living mainly in Arctic waters, baby belugas are born gray only later do they become white. Although funnily enough, a school of whales is called a gam.īeluga whales are odontocetes, or toothed whales. But, as we have already established, that whale does not, in fact, have a set of gams. Unlike other whales, their neck vertebrae are not fused, allowing them to move their heads up and down and from side to side, according to the American Cetacean Society.ĭo whales have knees? Beluga Whale ‘Knees’ Are Going Viral but, Of Course, Whales Don’t Have Legs. Their round heads have a small beak, and their necks are narrower than other whales. What special features does a beluga whale have?īelugas have thick, muscular bodies that taper at both ends. Where is the melon located on a beluga whale?īody Shape A beluga whale’s body is fusiform, but robust and stocky.What type of teeth do beluga whales have?.What adaptations do beluga whales have?.What special features does a beluga whale have?.