Narwhal Studies
Added 2023-09-21 00:09:48 +0000 UTCI'm so fascinated by the asymmetry of the tusk. They look like a graphical glitch to me. I can't think of any other animals that are like this, except maybe crabs.
I already gave y'all some fun facts earlier this month, so here are some new ones! They really solidify my new theory that God made them by mistake!!
- The tusk is a male thing, but 15% of females still grow one.
- Science isn't really sure what the tusk is for, but since 85% of females don't have them, (and still live longer than the males on average,) it obviously can't be essential for their survival as an individual. A leading theory for the purpose of the tusk is that they rub them together to communicate, sharing information about water chemistry. They also use them to tap and stun prey.
- Theoretically they can live over 100 years, but they typically live half that. A frequent cause of death is when they forget to migrate to warmer waters before the surface freezes over, causing them to suffocate under the ice. ):
- In Inuit legend, the first narwhal was a woman who was transformed into one; her hair becoming the tusk.
Comments
Asymmetry is very rare in the animal world, technically all snails are asymmetric haha, also thrips, a plant pest has asymmetric mandibles with one being vestigial which is super weird (I recently got them on a houseplant they sUk)
Stéphane L
2023-10-12 01:08:11 +0000 UTC
