Shepherd's beaked whale
Shepherd's beaked whale, scientifically classified under the genus Tasmacetus, is a unique species of beaked whale found in the cool waters near New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and Tierra del Fuego. These whales exhibit gray skin on their backs and lighter bellies, often marked by scratches from encounters with predators like killer whales. Growing to lengths of about 20 to 23 feet (6 to 7 meters) and weighing up to six tons (five metric tons), they are among the largest members of the beaked whale family.
Shepherd's beaked whales possess distinctive beaks similar to those of bottle-nosed dolphins and are equipped with air holes on the tops of their heads for breathing. They utilize echolocation to hunt for prey, primarily squid, octopus, and deep-sea fish, by sending out high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects in the water. Their mating season runs from November to May, with a gestation period of approximately one year, resulting in the birth of a single calf that becomes independent after a year.
Unfortunately, these whales are vulnerable to noise and plastic pollution in their habitats, which can significantly affect their well-being. With a lifespan ranging from 27 to 39 years in the wild, Shepherd's beaked whales are a fascinating species worthy of further exploration and understanding.
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Shepherd's beaked whale
Shepherd's beaked whales are the only species in the genusTasmacetus of beaked whales.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Tasmacetus
Species: Shepherdi
Shepherd's beaked whales have gray skin on their backs and lighter skin on their bellies. They sometimes have scratches on their backs from attacks from other sea animals, such as killer whales. Shepherd's beaked whales have two flippers, tail fins, and small dorsal fins or humps. A dorsal fin is a fin on top of an animal's back. Like all beaked whales, Shepherd's beaked whales have beaks that stick out from their heads. These beaks are like the beaks of bottle-nosed dolphins. Shepherd's beaked whales are one of the largest beaked whale species, growing to be about 20 to 23 feet (6 to 7 meters) long and weighing six tons (five metric tons).
All beaked whales have air holes on the tops of their heads which gives them the ability to breathe air. They stay under the water for some time and then come up to the surface to breathe, just like humans.
Shepherd's beaked whales are food in the cool waters near New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and Tierra del Fuego.
Shepherd's beaked whales eat squid and octopus and are the only beaked whales to eat deep-sea fish and crabs. They find their food by echolocation. Echolocation is like the radar used to track airplanes. Shepherd's beaked whales send out very high-pitched special sounds from their noses. Humans cannot hear these sounds. Shepherd's beaked whales have air sacs in their noses that direct the sounds to certain places in the water. The sounds travel through the water, bounce off objects, and return to the whale. Shepherd's beaked whales can tell how far away their prey is by the time it takes for the sounds to return to them. This process shows the whales where to swim to catch prey. Shepherd's beaked whales can tell the difference between sounds that have bounced off rocks and fish.
The mating season for these whales is from November to May. They have a gestation period (duration of pregnancy) of around one year. They give birth to one young, which reaches independence after one year. Shepherd's beaked whales are sensitive to noise pollution and are impacted by plastic pollution in the ocean.
The lifespan of Shepherd's beaked whales is 27 to 39 years in the wild.
Bibliography
Naughton, Abigail. "Tasmacetus Shepherdi." Animal Diversity Web, 2022, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tasmacetus‗shepherdi. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Shepherd's Beaked Whale." Australian Museum, 21 Apr. 2022, australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/shepherds-beaked-whale. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Shepherd's Beaked Whale." WDC, uk.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/shepherds-beaked-whale. Accessed 1 May 2024.