Bairds Beaked Whale Skull
$3,600.00
The snout, called a beak, of Baird’s Beaked Whale is elongated and lacks all teeth except for one or two sets in the lower mandible, which are called “battle teeth” for their use in intra-species conflict.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Bairds Beaked Whale or Berardius bairdi are unique among toothed whales in that most species only have one pair of teeth. The teeth are tusk-like, but are only visible in males, which are presumed to use these teeth in combat for females for reproductive rights. In females, the teeth do not develop and remain hidden in the gum tissues.
The throats of all beaked whales have a bilaterally paired set of grooves that are associated with their unique feeding mechanism, suction feeding.
Instead of capturing prey with their teeth, beaked whales suck it into their oral cavity. Suction is aided by the throat grooves, which stretch and expand to accommodate food.
Their tongues can move very freely. By suddenly retracting the tongue and distending the gular (throat) floor, pressure immediately drops within the mouth, sucking the prey in with the water.
Dietary information is available from stomach contents analyses of stranded Bairds Beaked Whales or Berardius bairdi and from whaling operations.
Their preferred diet is primarily deep water squid, but also benthic and benthopelagic fish and some crustaceans, mostly taken near the sea floor.
Baird’s Beaked Whale Facts:
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Berardius
Species: B. bairdii
Binomial name: Berardius bairdii
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Additional information
Weight | 25 lbs |
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Dimensions | 59 × 31 × 20 in |
World Whale Day - 3rd Sunday of February | World Whale Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of February each year to recognize whales and raise awareness of the threats they face. The day began in Maui, Hawaii in 1980 to honor the humpback whales that migrate to the islands each winter to give birth. The Pacific Whale Foundation organizes events that include parades, activities for children, and fun characters. |