Beluga Whale Skull Replica

Description

Beluga whale skull replica is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from specimen: CAS MAM 10165; Delphinapterus leucas; Male; Field #B.M.M. 12; 29 June 1954; Naknek River, Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. 1:1 scale (Life size), Made in USA.

Beluga whale skull replica Dimensions (Cranium attached to Mandible)

The precise measurements for the complete 2-part cranium & mandible Beluga whale skull replica are:

• Length: 19.6 inches (50 cm)
• Width: 11.0 inches (27.9 cm)
• Height: 9.0 inches (22.9 cm)

Product Details

• Anatomy: Accurately replicates the asymmetric cranial structure (typical of Odontocetes) and the small, peg-like teeth.
• Note: This specimen is representative of an adult male from the Bristol Bay population, a distinct group in southwestern Alaska.

The Beluga whale or Delphinapterus leucas is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is also known as the White whale and Sea Canary, as it is the only cetacean of this color; the sea canary, due to its high-pitched calls; and the melon head, more commonly refers to the melon headed whale, which is an oceanic dolphin.

Like most toothed whales, Beluga whale or Delphinapterus leucas has a compartment found at the center of the forehead that contains an organ used for echolocation called a melon, which contains fatty tissue.

The shape of the Beluga whales head is unlike that of any other cetacean, as the melon is extremely bulbous, lobed and visible as a large frontal prominence.

The Beluga whales body is round, particularly when well fed, and tapers less smoothly to the head than the tail.

The sudden tapering to the base of its neck gives it the appearance of shoulders, unique among cetaceans. The tail fin grows and becomes increasingly and ornately curved as the animal ages.

The flippers are broad and short, making them almost square shaped. Beluga Whales are the only whales that can bend their necks.

The Beluga whale are gregarious and forms groups of 10 animals on average, although during the summer, they can gather in the hundreds or even thousands in estuaries and shallow coastal areas. They are slow swimmers, but can dive to 2,300 feet below the surface.

They are opportunistic feeders and their diets vary according to their locations and the season.

Their feeding habits depend on their locations and the season. the diets of these cetaceans consist mainly of capelin, smelt, sole, flounder, herring, sculpin and other types of salmon.

They also consume a great quantity of invertebrates, such as shrimp, squid, crabs, clams, octopus, sea snails, bristle worms and other deep-sea species.

Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Lacépède, 1804
Species: D. leucas
Binomial name: Delphinapterus leucas
Conservation status: Least Concern

For a professional study of odontocete diversity, compare this skull with our museum-grade Baird’s beaked whale male skull replica cast.

The Beluga whale skull replica is an authentic 1:1 scale (Life size) reproduction molded from CAS MAM 10165; Delphinapterus leucas; Male; Field #B.M.M. 12; 29 June 1954; Naknek River, Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA.