Beluga+Whale

=__Beluga Whale__=

[|Delphinapterus leucas]
By. Joe8 The beluga, a medium-size toothed whale, is white, a color adaptation to its environment - it lives primarily in the Arctic. Its white color is also the source of its name, which comes from the Russian word for white. Some scientists call this whale "belukha", to differentiate it from the beluga sturgeon (the fish from which we get caviar). Thick blubber makes it possible for the beluga to live in extremely coldwater, and a back with no dorsal fin allows it to move freely under ice.

SIZE: Adult males measure 5 meters (14-16 feet), with a maximum length of 5.3 meters (20 feet), and weigh about 3,300 pounds. Adult females measure 3.9-4.2 meters (13-14 feet), with a maximum length of 5.2 meters (17 feet), and weigh about 3,000 pounds. Females are considerably smaller than males on the Eastern side of the Atlantic. http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/BelugaWhale.htm

DIET:The beluga's diet is varied, and consists of small squid, crabs, clams, shrimp, sandworms, and various kinds of fish such as capelin, sandlance, and polar and arctic cod. It is especially fond of young salmon, and groups of belugas sometimes gather at the mouths of rivers to feed on the salmon as they return from their fresh water spawning grounds to the sea. A beluga consumes 50-60 pounds of food a day. It has about 10 conical shaped teeth on each side of its upper and lower jaw. Because it swallows its food whole, the beluga's teeth are not used for chewing, but for grasping and holding prey. http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/BelugaWhale.htm

POPULATION: Belugas are found mostly in Arctic and subarctic waters as well as the St. Lawrence River. They congregate and travel in groups from as few as 2-3 to as many as several hundred. Some are migratory within their limited range while others remain residents of a particular area. They are found close to shore or in the open sea. During the summer months in some areas they gather in the estuaries of rivers to feed and calve.

http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/BelugaWhale.htm

LIFESPAN: Beluga whales probably live about 25 to 30 years. As a beluga whale ages, it periodically produces growth layer groups of dental material. Age can be estimated by examining a sliced section of a tooth and counting these layers. These estimations are most accurate in young whales, before the tooth's pulp cavity fills in. Researchers are currently investigating new tooth-aging methods. Scientific evidence indicates that belugas may deposit up to two growth layer groups annually. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Beluga/behabitat.html

HABITAT: During the summer months, most belugas inhabit icy waters of the arctic and subarctic, where water temperatures may be as low as 0-C (32-F). They swim among icebergs and ice floes. Belugas are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in water barely deep enough to cover their bodies (Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). They may also frequent deeper waters. In the summer many populations are found in warm-water estuaries and river basins. Belugas seem to be well adapted to both a cold ocean habitat and a warmer freshwater habitat. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Beluga/behabitat.html

OFFSPRING: Male beluga whales become sexually mature at about eight to nine years of age, and females at about four to seven years. Breeding generally takes place in March through May, about 10 months after calving. Beluga whales breed in small bays and estuaries. A single dominant male may mate with several females.