Source: DTE

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Context :

For the first time, Recent drone footage has provided evidence that narwhals actively use their tusks to hunt fish in the Arctic.

The discovery is important because it shows how these animals find food & survive in their challenging environment.

The discovery shows that teeth (tusk) were once a mystery. And they are now crucial for capturing prey.

About Narwhals:

Narwhals are medium sized toothed whales.

They are also known as Monodon monoceros

They are famous for their long, spiral tusk.

These tusk are actually a tooth that grows from the upper jaw of the male narwhal.

Key Features of Narwhals

• Colour Changes with Age:
  • • Newborn narwhals are blue grey.
    • Young narwhals are blue black.
    • Adult narwhals have a gray appearance.
    • Old narwhals turn completely white.
• The Tusk:
  • • The tusk of the male narwhal has sensory capabilities & they contain up to 10 million nerve endings.
    • This tusk plays a role in mating because males use the tusk to show off to potential mates.
    • It is also used to interact with prey, such as arctic char (a type of fish).
    • The tusk is capable of killing the fish.
• Hunting Skills:
  • • Narwhals use their teeth to control and track the movements of fish.
    • They are efficient at using their teeth with great precision & speed.

Narwhal Reproduction and Diet

• Mating:
  • • Narwhals usually mate between March & May.
    • They are polygynous. It means one male mates with several females.
• Birth: Female narwhals give birth to only 1 baby at a time.
• Diet: Narwhals eat fish such as Greenland halibut, Arctic cod, & polar cod, as well as squid & shrimp.

Where Do Narwhals Live?

Narwhals live in the cold Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, & Russia.

Threats to Narwhals

Narwhals are facing dangers from human activities, such as oil & gas exploration.

They are also at risk due to climate change because it is affecting their natural habitat.

Conservation Status

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) : Near Threatened.

Efforts to protect their habitat are necessary to their survival.

Source: DTE