Wildlife
The charismatic narwhal is the legendary 'unicorn of the sea'. It's also thought that narwhal horns used in trade or washed up on beaches gave credence to the myth of unicorns on land. The horn is more properly called a tusk. Narwhals only have two teeth and in the males, the left one grows out of the jaw into a long spiralled tusk that can reach 2.5m in length and is prone to breaking. Suggested uses for such an impressive appendage include to spear food, for defence and as a weapon for competing males. However, its most likely use is to impress females, as an indication of the fittest mate. Narwhals are inhabitants of Arctic waters and are found at all depths. They tend to stay close to loose pack ice, where breathing holes are maintained through the sheets of ice.
In order to see this content you need to have an up-to-date version of Flash installed and Javascript turned on.
Unicorns of the north
Temporary cracks provide highways through the ice.
Temporary cracks provide highways through the ice.
Fencing whales
Male narwhals use their tusk - an overgrown tooth - in courtship.
Male narwhals use their tusk - an overgrown tooth - in courtship.
Echolocation lifeline
Narwhals use sound to map vital air holes in the ice.
Narwhals use sound to map vital air holes in the ice.
The following habitats are found across the Narwhal distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Near Threatened
Population trend: Unknown
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The narwhal, or narwhale, (Monodon monoceros) is a medium-sized toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, narwhal males are distinguished by a long, straight, helical tusk, actually an elongated upper left canine. Found primarily in Canadian Arctic and Greenlandic waters, rarely south of 65°N latitude, the narwhal is a uniquely specialized Arctic predator. In the winter, it feeds on benthic prey, mostly flatfish, at depths of up to 1500 m under dense pack ice. Narwhals have been harvested for over a thousand years by Inuit people in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and a regulated subsistence hunt continues to this day. While populations appear stable, the narwhal is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to a narrow geographical range and specialized diet.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. If you find the content in the 'About' section factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. For more information on our use of Wikipedia please read our FAQ.
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Sea bed
Deep ocean
Shallow seas
Open ocean
Migration
Adapted to swimming
Carnivorous
Maternal care
Active at birth
Social
Sexual dimorphism
Viviparous