Unicorns Of The Sea!
As a huge fan of unicorns, I've always loved the appearance of narwhals. Since there aren't really any unicorns, I find narwhals to be the closest thing to being unicorns simply because of their gorgeous tusks.
Narwhals, scientifically known as Monodon Monoceros, can be found in Russia, Canada, Greenland, and Norway.
The gorgeous tusk weighs around 10 kg and is shockingly a canine tooth.
Monodon Monoceros's diet consists of squid, fish, crab, rockfish, cuttlefish, polar and Arctic cod, shrimp and flounder. They eat about 30 kg's of food a day.
The gestational period for narwhals lasts for about 14 months and they have babies every 3 years. These magical looking creatures have a lifespan of 50 years. At birth they have an average length of 1,5m, then as they mature they end up with a length of 5,1 m and a weight of 800 - 1,600kg.
Narwhals are actually very social animals and normally travel in pods(group) of 10- 100. Narwhals are also able to communicate using echolocation just like bats, oilbirds, dolphins, swiftlets and whales.
Facts about narwhals:
- Their tusks are able to bend a bit without breaking. The tusk has soft outer layer and a tough core.
- Though it's rare, there are some narwhals that have two tusks instead of one.
- They are able to hold their breaths for up to 25 minutes.
- Their tusks grow all throughout their lives.
- Narwhal skin is rich in vitamin C !
- The tusk has nerve endings in them.
- When narwhals fight with each other they rub their tucks together which is called tusking.
- Narwhals are able to dive as deep as 1,500m!
- They swallow their food whole.
- Although narwhales are actually whales, they lack a dorsal fin.
- Long ago, people sold narwhal tusks calling them unicorn horns. They believed that the tusks possessed mystical powers.
