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Baird’s
beaked
whale is the longest
species
of the Ziphiidae, which is a
family
of medium-sized whales. The name "beaked whale" comes from the way the long snout, or
rostrum
, tapers to a tip. From above, the rostrum looks like the neck of a bottle, and another common name for the species is giant bottlenose whale.
Berardius
has four teeth in the lower jaw. Two of the teeth project from the jaw and may be used for fighting: it is common for the skin of both males and females to be heavily covered in tooth-scars all over the body. The whales feed in deep water, diving for as long as an hour at a time to eat squid, octopus, skates, and other species that are found 2000 m below the surface. Fifty or more whales often travel together, occasionally breaching and slapping their flippers.
Also known as:
Far-eastern Bottlenose Whale, Giant Bottlenose Whale, Northern Four-footed Whale
Sexual Dimorphism:
Females are slightly larger than males.
Length:
Range: up to 11.9 m males; up to 12.8 m females
Weight:
Range: up to 14,200 kg
References:
Stejneger, 1883.
Proceedings of theU.S. National Museum
, 6:75.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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