Unicorns are said to only be true in fairy tales, however there are real unicorns swimming in the oceans today. One of the most interesting yet particularly weird animals living on this planet would have to be the Narwhal or the unicorn of the sea. The Narwhal is a whale that lives in the Arctic and because of its seclusion to the northern seas this whale remains a mystery to most people.
The Narwhal is in the kingdom Animalia and in the phylum Chordata, which means that it is an animal that has a backbone. The Narwhal is in the class mammalia meaning that it is a mammal, giving live birth and nursing its young. The order that the Narwhal is put into is the order Cetacea, a group of mammals that includes only whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The Narwhal belongs to the family Monodontidae, which is the family that consists of two groups of white whales, the Beluga whale and the Narwhal. The actual species name of the Narwhal is Monodon monoceros. The name Monodon literally means “one tooth” and monoceros translated to “one horn” (Narwhal, 2011).
The Narwhal is considered to be a medium-sized whale. Males can weigh up to 3,500 pounds, where as the females are smaller, only weighing up to 2,200 pounds. Both males and females are a white color that is marked with black and white spots on their back. Narwhals are at their darkest when they are born and become lighter in color as they get older. Narwhals have a cylindrical body, no dorsal fin, a round head, and a petite mouth on a very blunt nose. The most eye-catching characteristic of this whale would have to be its unicorn looking horn, which is most noticeable on the males then the females (Narwhal, 2011).
A male Narwhal can have one single tusk that can be anywhere from 7 ...
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Narwhal. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 4th, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal
Gnarly Narwhal. (n.d.) Mr. Kevin. Retrieved May 4th, 2011, from http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch9vertebrates/mammals/mammalwp/class_of_2005/kevin2/navigationbar.html
Polar Bear. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 4th, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Bear
The voyage of the narwhal is a novel by Andrea Barrett, who reveals many aspects of the search for fame and glory, versus search for the truth. When the characters leave for the voyage with the same mission, it is the drive of their different motives for the expedition that separates their destiny on the trip. It was the commander that in blindness of fame led the expedition to tragedy and loss. Through out this novel the author reveals through the characters that the search for the truth is more important than the search of fame and wealth.
The North American Whitetail is typically 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall at the shoulder, and can range from 100 to 220 pounds. The size of the deer depends on the area you find the deer and how much food there is in that area. The males (or bucks) typically have antlers that they shed seasonally. The females (or does) usually do not have antlers, but can on rare occasions. There are some very definite qualities that make it easy to distinguish the white tail from one of its close relatives, like the mule deer. The whitetail is a reddish brown color in the summer and a grayish brown color in the winter. If you ever see a whitetail in the wild, you will quickly see how they got ...
Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name “killer whale” makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age.
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
The size of the painting is 34 3/8 x 45 3/4 in. (86.5 x 115 cm). The height in proportion to the width shows that the painting is not proportional but it is not far off from forming a perfect square. The frame does not cut-off any of the people in the painting. The composition is centered and zoomed in to show what is going on. The composition is not simple but it is not complex either. The composition is not geometrically ordered. The people seem to be free and in motion. There is asymmetry throughout the painting. In the organization of the painting the objects appear to be crowded. There is not a lot of space between the people who appear to be fighting. The shapes of the people show that the mermaids are fighting a big guy and the placement of them shows unbalance. There are a couple objects presents. A total of three mermaids are presents including a triton and some objects are in the background represented by shadows. The sizes of the objects in the center of the composition are big compared to the ones in the background. A lot of emphasis is present in the center of the painting. The forms of the mermaids and triton are volumetric and a nice scenery is present in the background. The mermaids and trition are formed by contoured lines. Some of the lines are sharp and defined to show the natural curves on the human body and there is blurred out lines in the water to show waves and movements. The lines help give the painting a realistic feel to it. The lines are active in the reflection of the water. The color pallet present in the painting is soft with neutral warm colors. Only a couple different colors were used and the red color on the mermaid stands out the most. The neutral skin color is dominant because it is the color mo...
There are many creatures that live in the sea. The sperm whale being one of many creatures that has a huge impact on the ocean. They are very unique creators, who most people tend to forget about. The sperm whale created a huge conflict for the Essex, leaving the reading wondering what is going to end up happening. This book inspired the book Moby Dick.
Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows on average to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. It stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. The mane will vary in color and length; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. Females are smaller but equally muscular. Lions vary in color from golden to brown. The mane of a male lion will vary from black to yellow. Both sexes have retractable claws to keep them sharp when they are needed. Lions have wide powerful jaws. The lions roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 (5.6 miles) kilometers away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They were given the name “killer whale” by sailors who often observed them attacking and killing seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins, dolphins, polar bears and even other whales (Orcas).
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
Great white Sharks are unique beautiful creatures of the ocean. Sharks have survived in the ocean for 450 million years. The scientific name for Great whites is
Do mermaids exist or not? Mermaid sightings have been reported as early as 586 A.D. A great historian named Pliny the Elder was convinced of the existence of mermaids and described them as “rough and scaled all over.” Thousands of sailors across the globe have reported seeing mermaids swimming off the bows of their ships. Even Christopher Columbus reported an encounter with a mermaid; in January of 1493 Columbus reported that he saw three mermaids frolicking in the ocean just off Haiti. ( "Unknown Explorers - Mermaids") Columbus stated that the creatures “came high out of the water” but were “not as pretty as they are depicted, for somehow the face looked more like a man’s.” ( "Unknown Explorers - Mermaids") What he saw could have easily been a type of animal he did not recognize.
Whale sharks were named Rhincodon typus by Andrew Smith, in 1828. The naming was hard due to the similarities between the family Ginglymostomatidae and the family Orectolobiformes. The closest relatives to the whale shark are nurse and zebra sharks. The whale shark is the only species in their family, Rhincondontidae. Whale sharks...
The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is part of the marine mammals group. They are found in oceans all over the world, they live in open waters. Even though they are mammals, they do not live on land (Monterey Bay Aquarium). Humpback whales are known for their magical song that can travel great distances. These gentle giants are omnivores, their main diet is krill. They are mostly found near coastlines feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding water closer to the Equator. Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke to propel themselves through or even out of the water! Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appears to be gestures of affection. Even though it takes more than one year for a humpback whale to grow fully, mother whales leave them after one year (National Geographic).
...r. Even though they live in the ocean all their life and also amusement parks, dolphins are mammals, not fish. That makes them very intersting animals because of all the charactics that they have that people would have never known about. Dolphins are by far the most intelligant marine mammals in the ocean.
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).