Eclectus Parrot

  
The Life of Animals | Eclectus Parrot | The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea and nearby islands, northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism of the colours of the plumage; the male having a mostly bright emerald green plumage and the female a mostly bright red and purple/blue plumage. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see Eclectus Parrots thought they were of two distinct species. Large populations of this parrot remain, and they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees.

Ornithologists usually classify the Eclectus Parrot as a member of tribe Psittaculini in the Psittacidae family of order Psittaciformes. The Eclectus Parrot is the most sexually dimorphic of all the parrot species.  Although the Eclectus Parrot is the only extant species in the genus Eclectus, fossil remains of another species, Oceanic Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus infectus), have been found in archaeological sites in the islands of Tonga and Vanuatu  The species presumably existed in Fiji as well. E. infectus had proportionally smaller wings than the Eclectus Parrot. 

There are nine (possibly more) subspecies of Eclectus Parrots, although the species as a whole needs reviewing. The Eclectus Parrot is unusual in the parrot family for its marked sexual dimorphism in the colours of the plumage. The male is mostly bright green with a yellow-tinge on the head. It has blue primaries, and red flanks and underwing coverts. Its tail is edged with a narrow band of creamy yellow, and is dark grey edged with creamy yellow underneath, and the tail feathers are green centrally and more blue as they get towards the edges. The Grand eclectus female is mostly bright red with a darker hue on the back and wings. The beak of the adult female is all black. Adults have yellow to orange irises and juveniles have dark brown to black irises. The upper mandible of both male and female juveniles are brown at the base fading to yellow towards the biting edges and the tip

The abdomen and nape of the females are blue in most subspecies, purple abdomen and nape in the subspecies from the north and central Maluku Islands (roratus and vosmaeri), and red abdomen and nape in the subspecies from Sumba and Tanimbar Islands (cornelia and riedeli). Females of several subspecies have a yellow-tipped tail; taken to the extreme in riedeli and vosmaeri which also have yellow undertail coverts. The female vosmaeri displays the brightest red of all the subspecies, both on the head and body

The diet of the eclectus in the wild consists of mainly fruits, wild figs, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds. In captivity, they will eat most fruits including mangos, figs, guavas, bananas, any melons, stone fruits (peaches etc.), grapes, citrus fruits, pears and apples. In captivity the eclectus parrot does benefit from a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy greens such as endive and dandelion, as well as a variety of seeds, including spray millet, and a few nuts such as shelled almonds and shelled walnuts.

In its natural habitat, the Eclectus nests within hollows in large, emergent rainforest trees. Unlike other parrot species, Eclectus parrots are polygyny—females may mate with multiple male suitors and males may travel from nesting site to nesting site to mate with multiple females. The male is primarily a green color, likely for the purpose of camouflage amongst the trees whilst foraging. Although Eclectus Parrots may reach sexual maturity earlier or later, they usually reach it between 2-3 years It is often possible to place abandoned eggs from other parrot species beneath a broody Eclectus hen, which she will readily accept and then happily incubate to the point of hatching.

Adult females with poor nest hollows often commit infanticide on male, if they laid a male and a female chick. Eclectus parrots are one of the more popular birds kept in captivity, as either parent or hand reared. Unlike many other species of parrot they are relatively easy to breed yet difficult to hand feed. Eclectus in captivity require vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as lightly cooked sweet potato, fresh broccoli clumps, and fresh corn on the cob. As with all pet birds, they should not be fed avocado, chocolate, or high fat junk foods such as French fries or commercially processed human foods such as pizza. Spray millet is one of the seed items they enjoy, though the Eclectus diet should typically contain much less seed than other birds. Nuts and seeds provide vitamin E, but should be limited in order to avoid too much fat in the diet, as Eclectus parrots can Fortified or artificially colored food items may also cause allergic reactions in some individuals, including severe itchiness leading to feather and skin damage. Eclectus Parrots are generally calm birds in captivity, displaying a pensive nature when faced with novel items or situations which may give rise to the mistaken impression that the species is 'dull-witted' The Eclectus may also exhibit a more neophobic nature than other species of companion bird Eclectus parrots are prone to feather destruction (picking, pulling, cutting and or barbing) in captivity. The average lifespan of the eclectus parrots in captivity is unknown, since these birds have not been kept in captivity in great numbers until the nineteen eighties.

Sun Parakeet

The Life of Animals | Sun Parakeet | The Sun Parakeet or Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) is a medium-sized brightly colored parrot native to northeastern South America. The adult male and female are similar in appearance, with predominantly golden-yellow plumage and orange-flushed underparts and face.  The species is endangered, threatened by loss of habitat and trapping for the pet trade. On average, Sun Parakeets weigh approximately 110 g (4 oz) and are around 30 cm (12 in) long.

Adults have a rich yellow crown, nape, mantle, lesser wing-coverts, tips of the greater wing-coverts, chest, and underwing-coverts. The base of the greater wing-coverts, tertials, and base of the primaries are green, while the secondaries, tips of the primaries, and most of the primary coverts are dark blue. The tail is olive-green with a blue tip.  is easily confused with the closely related Jandaya Parakeet and Sulphur-breasted Parakeet, but the former has entirely green wing-coverts, mantle and vent, while the latter has green mottling to the mantle and less orange to the underparts. The Sun Parakeet is also superficially similar to the pale-billed Golden Parakeet.

Juvenile Sun Parakeets display a predominantly green plumage and resemble similar-aged Sulphur-breasted Parakeets.  The Sun Parakeet wass one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae  As Linnaeus did with many of the parrots he described, he placed this species in the genus Psittacus, but it has since been moved to the widely accepted Aratinga, which contains a number of similar New World species, while Psittacus is now restricted to the type species, the African Grey Parrot.  

The Sun Parakeet is monotypic, but the Aratinga solstitialis complex includes three additional species from Brazil: Jandaya Parakeet, Golden-capped Parakeet, and Sulphur-breasted Parakeet. These have all been considered subspecies of the Sun Parakeet, but most recent authorities maintain their status as separate species. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the Sun Parakeet and the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet represent one species, while the Jenday Parakeet and Golden-capped Parakeet represent a second. Of these, the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet only received widespread recognition in 2005, having gone unnoticed at least partially due to its resemblance to certain pre-adult plumages of the Sun Parakeet. The Sun, Jandaya, and Golden-capped Parakeets will all interbreed in captivity (it is likely, but unconfirmed, that the Sulphur-breasted also will interbreed with these). 

As far as known, the remaining taxa are entirely allopatric, although it is possible that the Sun Parakeet and the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet come into contact in the southern Guianas, where some doubts exists over the exact identity Its exact ecological requirements remain relatively poorly known. Like other members of the genus Aratinga, the Sun Parakeet is social and typically occurs in groups of up to 30 individuals. Otherwise, relatively little is known about its behavior in the wild, in part due to confusion over what information refers to the Sun Parakeet and what refers to the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet. The Sun Parakeet occurs only in a relatively small region of north-eastern South America: the north Brazilian state of Roraima, southern Guyana, extreme southern Suriname, and southern French Guiana. It also occurs as a vagrant to coastal French Guiana. Today it is regularly bred in captivity, but the capture of wild individuals potentially remains a very serious threat. The Sun Parakeet is noted for its very loud squawking compared to its relatively small size. Sun Parakeets are popular as pets because of their bright coloration though they have a very limited ability to talk.

Cape Dwarf Chameleon

  

The Life of Animals | Cape Dwarf Chameleon | The Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum), is a chameleon native to the South African province of the Western Cape where it is restricted to the region around Cape Town. This gives the chameleon the ability to catch insects some distance away. Like the Knysa Dwarf Chameleon it seems to be a basal offshoot of the ancestral stock which gave rise to all Bradypodion

The Cape Dwarf Chameleon is not an CITES-protected endangered species. living as they do in the area now dominated by the city of Cape Town, their natural habitat is being largely covered by urban expansion.This chameleon readily adapts to living in town gardens, so the urbanisation itself is not necessarily a threat. However, the use of hedge trimmers and the introduction of domestic cats have seen the species vanishing from large areas of Cape Town.

The Cape Dwarf Chameleon is known to grow over 15 centimeters in length, including the tail, with males and females reaching similar adult sizes. The young resemble miniature versions of the adults with muted colours, and typically reach no more than 2cm in length at birth. Normally very slow moving, chameleons have a characteristic shake which may let them look more like leaves to prey and predators. When further provoked, they will inflate themselves, hiss, change colour dramatically and bite. Cat owners should be aware that domestic cats are introduced predators, and will usually kill all chameleons in the immediate area. Consequently one should not bring chameleons into a garden which is frequented by cats.

Black Headed Dwarf Chamaeleon

  

The Life of Animals | Black Headed Dwarf Chamaeleon | The Black-headed Dwarf Chamaeleon (Bradypodion melanocephalum) is a lizard of the family Chamaeleonidae and is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This chameleon is found in the coastal areas (mostly around Durban) and parts of the Midlands of southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The current species may consist of several separate species.

 

It was hypothesized that B. melanocephalum and the Natal Midlands Dwarf Chameleon (B. thamnobates) may be phenotypically plastic populations of the same species, however juveniles of both species were raised under identical conditions and developed into what was phenotypically expected of their original populations, indicating that they are separate species It has been observed ranging in colour from dark brown, through light brown, olive green, to a pale creamy colour at night. The common name, Black-headed Dwarf Chamaeleon, stems from the first specimen studied where the head had turned black in the preservation process

Thickets of finely branched shrubs, tall herbaceous plants and tall grasses in undisturbed grasslands seem to be favoured. The wild date palm Phoenix reclinata is also a favoured micro-habitat The Black-headed Dwarf Chamaeleon is vulnerable because of its limited distribution. Roads are also a threat in dividing habitats; these animals are not adapted to open areas and move very slowly, making them soft targets for predators and vehicles on open roads. 

Karoo Dwarf Chameleon

  

The Life of Animals | Karoo Dwarf Chameleon | The Karoo Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion karrooicum) is a chameleon native to South Africa. It inhabits rather dry habitat on the border between the Great and Little Karoo of eastern Northern Cape and western Free State provinces, South Africa.

Rather, the Karoo Dwarf Chameleon belongs to a group of mostly short-tailed drab Bradypodion species which mostly inhabit semiarid to arid habitat. Its closest living relatives among these appear to be the peculiar and nearly extinct Smith's Dwarf Chameleon from mountaineous habitat, and especially the Southern Dwarf Chameleon.

Blue Whale

 

  

The Life of Animals | Blue Whale | The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales (called Mysticeti) At 30 metres (98 ft)  in length and 180 metric tons (200 short tons) or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed Long and slender, the blue whale's body can be various shades of bluish-grey dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath There are at least three distinct subspecies: B. m. musculus of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia of the Southern Ocean and B. m. brevicauda (also known as the pygmy blue whale) found in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean. As with other baleen whales, its diet consists almost exclusively of small crustaceans known as krill

Blue whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans on Earth until the beginning of the twentieth century. A 2002 report estimated there were 5,000 to 12,000 blue whales worldwide located in at least five groups. More recent research into the Pygmy subspecies suggests this may be an underestimate Before whaling, the largest population was in the Antarctic, numbering approximately 239,000 (range 202,000 to 311,000) There remain only much smaller (around 2,000) concentrations in each of the North-East Pacific, Antarctic, and Indian Ocean groups. Blue whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the humpback whale, the fin whale, Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale The family Balaenopteridae is believed to have diverged from the other families of the suborder Mysticeti as long ago as the middle Oligocene.

 

DNA sequencing analysis indicates that the blue whale is phylogenetically closer to the sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) and Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) than to other Balaenoptera species, and closer to the humpback whale (Megaptera) and the gray whale (Eschrichtius) than to the minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata and Balaenoptera bonaerensis). Researchers working off of Fiji believe they photographed a hybrid humpback/blue whaleThe first published description of the blue whale comes from Robert Sibbald's Phalainologia Nova (1694). In September 1692, Sibbald found a blue whale that had stranded in the Firth of Forth—a male 78-feet-long—which had "black, horny plates" and "two large apertures approaching a pyramid in shape

Other common names for the blue whale have included Sibbald's rorqual (after Sibbald, who first described the species), the great blue whale and the great northern rorqual. Authorities classify the species into three or four subspecies: B. m. musculus, the northern blue whale consisting of the North Atlantic and North Pacific populations, B. m. intermedia, the southern blue whale of the Southern Ocean, B. m. brevicauda, the pygmy blue whale found in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific and the more problematic B. m. indica, the great Indian rorqual, which is also found in the Indian Ocean and, although described earlier, may be the same subspecies as B. m. brevicauda.When surfacing to breathe, the blue whale raises its shoulder and blowhole out of the water to a greater extent than other large whales, such as the fin or sei whales. Some blue whales in the North Atlantic and North Pacific raise their tail fluke when diving. When reathing, the whale emits a spectacular vertical single-column spout up to 12 metres (39 ft), typically 9 metres (30 ft). Blue whales have twin blowholes shielded by a large splashguard

The whale's upper parts, and sometimes the flippers, are usually mottled. substantially from individual to individual. Blue whales can reach speeds of 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) over short bursts, usually when interacting with other whales, but 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) is a more typical traveling speed When feeding, they slow down to 5 kilometres per hour (3.1 mph). Blue whales most commonly live alone or with one other individual. In locations where there is a high concentration of food, as many as 50 blue whales have been seen scattered over a small area. Blue whales are difficult to weigh because of their size. Most blue whales killed by whalers were not weighed whole, but cut up into manageable pieces first. The largest blue whale accurately weighed by NMML scientists to date was a female that weighed 177 metric tons (195 short tons) The heaviest whale ever recorded weighed in at 190 metric tons (210 short tons) while the longest whale ever recorded was 33.3 metres (109 ft).

The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have lived The largest known dinosaur of the Mesozoic Era was the Argentinosaurus, which is estimated to have weighed up to 90 metric tons (99 short tons), though a controversial vertebra of Amphicoelias fragillimus may indicate an animal of up to 122 metric tons (134 short tons) and 40–60 metres (130–200 ft). There is some uncertainty about the biggest blue whale ever found, as most data come from blue whales killed in Antarctic waters during the first half of the twentieth century, and was collected by whalers not well-versed in standard zoological measurement techniques. The longest whales ever recorded were two females measuring 33.6 metres (110 ft) and 33.3 metres (109 ft).The longest whale measured by scientists at the NMML was 29.9 metres (98 ft)

A blue whale's tongue weighs around 2.7 metric tons (3.0 short tons) and, when fully expanded, its mouth is large enough to hold up to 90 metric tons (99 short tons) of food and water. Despite the size of its mouth, the dimensions of its throat are such that a blue whale cannot swallow an object wider than a beach ball Its heart weighs 600 kilograms (1,300 lb) and is the largest known Blue whale calves gain weight quickly, as much as 90 kilograms (200 lb) every 24 hours. Blue whales are not easy to catch or kill. Soon, blue whales were being hunted in Iceland (1883), the Faroe Islands (1894), Newfoundland (1898), and Spitsbergen (1903). In 1904-05 the first blue whales were taken off South Georgia. By 1925, with the advent of the stern slipway in factory ships and the use of steam-driven whale catchers, the catch of blue whales, and baleen whales as a whole, in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic began to increase dramatically. In the 1930–31 season, these ships caught 29,400 blue whales in the Antarctic alone. Blue whale hunting was banned in 1966 by the International Whaling Commission, and illegal whaling by the USSR finally halted in the 1970s by which time 330,000 blue whales had been caught in the Antarctic, 33,000 in the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, 8,200 in the North Pacific, and 7,000 in the North Atlantic. Since the introduction of the whaling ban, studies have failed to ascertain whether the conservation reliant global blue whale population is increasing or remaining stable. The IUCN Red List counts the blue whale as "endangered" as it has since the list's inception. 

This group is estimated to total about 500. Beyond Iceland, blue whales have been spotted as far north as Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen, though such sightings are rare. Scientists do not know where these whales spend their winters. The total North Atlantic population is estimated to be between 600 and 1,500.In the Southern Hemisphere, there appear to be two distinct subspecies, B. m. intermedia, the Antarctic blue whale, and the little-studied pygmy blue whale, B. m. brevicauda, found in Indian Ocean waters. The most recent surveys (midpoint 1998) provided an estimate of 2,280 blue whales in the Antarctic of which fewer than 1% are likely to be pygmy blue whales Estimates from a 1996 survey were that 424 pygmy blue whales were in a small area south of Madagascar alone thus it is likely that numbers in the entire Indian Ocean are in the thousands. For example, pygmy blue whales have been recorded in the northern Indian Ocean (Oman, Maldives and Sri Lanka), where they may form a distinct resident population In addition, the population of blue whales occurring off Chile and Peru may also be a distinct population. Efforts to calculate the blue whale population more accurately are supported by marine mammologists at Duke University, who maintain the Ocean Biogeographic Information System—Spatial Ecological Analysis of Megavertebrate Populations (OBIS-SEAMAP), a collation of marine mammal sighting data from around 130 sources.

 

North Atlantic Right Whale

 

The Life of Animals | North Atlantic Right Whale | The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) which means "good, or true, whale of the ice") is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena formerly classified as a single species. With only 400 in existence, North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered whales in the world.

 

About four hundred right whales live in the North Atlantic Ocean. Like other right whales, the North Atlantic right whale is readily distinguished from other whales by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. The right whale's callosities appear white due to large colonies of cyamids or whale lice. Adult right whales average 45–55 feet (14–17 m) in length and weigh up to seventy tons (63,500 kg); the largest measured specimens have been 60 feet (18 m) long and 117 tonnes (115 long tons; 129 short tons). Forty percent of a right whale's body weight is blubber, which is of relatively low density. Consequently, unlike many other species of whale, dead right whales float.

Right whales were so-named because whalers thought they were the "right" whale to hunt. As the "right" whale continued to float long after being killed, which made it possible to 'flech' or strip the whale of blubber without having to take it onboard ship. Shore whaling continued sporadically into the 19th century. By 1750, the North Atlantic right whale population was, for commercial purposes, depleted. The population was so low by the mid-19th century that the famous Whitby whaler Rev. William Scoresby, son of the successful British whaler William Scoresby senior (1760-1829), claimed to have never seen a right whale

As it became clear that hunting right whales was unsustainable, international protection for right whales came into effect, as the practice was banned globally in 1937. Madeira took its last two right whales in 1968.For the period of 1970 to October 2006, humans have been responsible for 48% of the 73 documented mortalities of the North Atlantic right whale A 2001 forecast showed a declining population trend in the late 1990s, and indicated a high probability that North Atlantic Right Whales would go extinct within 200 years if the then-existing anthropogenic mortality rate was not curtailed The combined factors of small population size and low annual reproductive rate of right whales means that a single death represents a significant mortality rate. It was calculated that preventing the deaths of just two females per year would enable the population to stabilize The data suggests, therefore, that human sources of mortality may have a greater effect relative to population growth rates of North Atlantic right whales than for other whales.

 

According to a census of individual whales identified using photo-identification techniques, the latest available stock assessment data (December 2010) indicates that a minimum of 361 recognized individuals were known to be alive in 2005 Up to four hundred North Atlantic right whales are thus thought to exist at present, almost all living in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Particularly popular feeding areas are the Bay of Fundy, the Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod Bay. It was later revealed that this animal, which was named as "Pico", is a female from the western Atlantic group Right whales have rarely been observed in the Mediterranean Sea, near Italy and Portugal The Norway sightings appear to be of strays from the western Atlantic stock In 2009, right whales appeared in waters around Greenland  although their origin was not confirmed Prior to this, no right whales had been killed or confirmed present off the coast of Greenland for around two hundred years. In early 2009, scientists recorded a record number of births among the western North Atlantic population. 39 new calves were recorded, born off the Atlantic coast of Florida and Georgia."Right whales, for the first time in a long time, are doing their part: they're having the babies; they're having record numbers of babies," said Monica Zani, an assistant scientist at the New England Aquarium who works with right whales.

 

Bowhead Whale

 

The Life of Animals | Bowhead Whale | The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a baleen whale of the right whale family Balaenidae in suborder Mysticeti. This thick-bodied species can weigh 75 tonnes (74 long tons; 83 short tons) to 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons)  second only to the blue whale, although the bowhead's maximum length is less than several other whales. It lives entirely in fertile Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, unlike other whales that migrate to feed or reproduce. It is also known as Greenland right whale or Arctic whale. The bowhead is perhaps the longest-living mammal, and has the largest mouth of any animal

The bowhead was an early whaling target. The population is estimated to be over 24,900 worldwide, down from an estimated 50,000 before whaling.The bowhead whale currently occupies a monotypic genus, separate from the other right whales, as it has done since the work of Gray in 1821. It is thought Balaena prisca, one of the five Balaena fossils from the late Miocene (~10 mya) to early Pleistocene (~1.5 mya), may be the same as the modern bowhead whale. The bowhead whale has a robust, dark-colored body, no dorsal fin and a strongly bowed lower jaw and narrow upper jaw. Its baleen, the longest of any whale at 3 m (9.8 ft), strains tiny prey from the water. The bowhead whale is highly vocal, and uses underwater sounds to communicate while traveling, feeding, and socializing. Some bowheads make long repetitive songs that may be mating calls. Observations of very large animals without calves support this hypothesis. The bowhead population around Alaska has increased since commercial whaling ceased. This level of killing (25–40 animals annually) is not expected to affect the population's recovery. In March, 2008, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans stated that previous estimates in the Eastern Arctic had undercounted, with a new estimate of 14,400 animals (r. 4,800–43,000) These larger numbers correspond to pre-whaling estimates, indicating this population has fully recovered.

 

The bowhead whale is the only baleen whale that spends its entire life in and around Arctic waters. The Alaskan population spends the winter months in the southwestern Bering Sea. The bowhead whale has been hunted for blubber, meat, oil, bones, and baleen. Like right whales, it swims slowly, and floats after death, making it ideal for whaling. Before commercial whaling, there were an estimated 50,000 bowheads In 1611, the first whaling expedition sailed to Spitsbergen. By mid-century, the population(s) there had practically been wiped out, forcing whalers to voyage into the "West Ice"—the pack ice off Greenland's east coast. In the North Pacific, commercial bowhead whaling began in the 1840s, and within two decades wiped out over 60 percent of the bowheads.

Humpback whale

 

  
The Life of Animals | Humpback Whale | The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorquals species, adults range in length from 12-16 meters (39-52 ft) and weigh approximately 36.000 kilograms (79.000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. Found in Oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25.000 kilometres (16.000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off Their fat reserves.

Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique. Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the Whaling Industry. Due to over-hunting, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a Whaling moratorium was introduced in 1966. There are at least 80.000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the Brink of extinction, humpbacks are now sought by whale-watchers, particularly off parts of Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States.

Humpback whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family That includes the blue whale, the fin whale, the Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale. Though Cleary related to the giant whales of the genus Balaenoptera, the humpback has been the sole member of its genus since Gray's work in 1846. More recently though, DNA sequencing analysis has indicated the Humpback is more closely related to Certain rorquals, particularly the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and possibly to the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), than it is to rorquals Such as the minke whales. The humpback whale was first Identified as "baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre" by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Regnum Animale of 1756. 

The specific name means" New Englander "and was Probably given by Brisson due the regular sightings of humpbacks off the coast of New England Humpback whales can easily be Identified by Their stocky bodies with obvious humps and black dorsal coloring. North Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean humpbacks have distinct migratory Populations the which complete a round-trip each year. The Indian Ocean population does not migrate, prevented by That ocean's northern coastline. Several hypotheses Attempt to explain the humpback's pectoral fins, the which are proportionally The Longest fins of any cetacean. Humpbacks also have 'rete mirable' a heat exchanging system, the which works similarly in humpbacks, sharks and other fish.

Humpbacks have 270 to 400 Darkly colored baleen plates on each side of the mouth. Humpbacks have a 3 meters (9.8 ft) heart-shaped to Bushy blow, or exhalation of water through the blowholes. Because Humpback Whales breathe voluntarily, researchershave That said it is poss ible That the whales shut off only half of the brain Pls sleeping. Early Whalers also noted blows from humpback adults to be 10-20 feet (3.0-6.1 m) high. Humpback milk is 50% fat and pink in color. Males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age. The humpback whale lifespan ranges from 45-100 years Fully grown, the males average 15-16 meters (49-52 ft). This Visually distinguishes males and females. Male whales have distinctive scars on heads and bodies, some resulting from battles over females.

The varying patterns on the tail flukes are sufficient to identify individuals. Unique visual identification is not currently possible in most cetacean species (other exceptions include orcas and right whales), humpback making the species a popular study. A photographic catalog of all known North Atlantic whales was developed over this period and is currently maintained by the College of the Atlantic Similar photographic identification projects have Begun in the North Pacific by SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks), and around the world. Both male and female humpback whales vocalize, however only the males Produce long, loud, complex "songs" for the which the species is famous. Cetaceans have no vocal cords, whales generate so Their song by forcing water through Their massive nasal cavities.

Whales within a large area sing the same song. All North Atlantic humpbacks sing the same song, and Those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes SLOWLY over a period of years without repeating Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale song. Only males sing, suggesting That one purpose is to attract females. Scientists hypothesize That may keep singing Populations migrating connected. Identified by Their unique tail patterns, these animals made The Longest documented mammalian migration In Australia, two main migratory Populations have been Identified, off the west and east coast respectively. Most monitored stocks of humpback whales have rebounded well since the end of Commercial Whaling, Such as the North Atlantic where stocks are now believed to be approaching pre-hunting levels. However, the species is Considered endangered in some countries, including the United States The United States initiated a status review of the species on August 12, 2009, and is seeking public comment on potential changes to the species listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act Areas where population data is limited and the species may be at higher risk include the Arabian Sea, the western North Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa and parts of Oceania Today, individuals are vulnerable to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution and noise Like other cetaceans, humpbacks can be injured by excessive noise. In the 19th century, two humpback whales were the resource persons found dead near sites of repeated oceanic sub-bottom blasting, with traumatic injuries and fractures in the ears Once hunted to the Brink of extinction, the humpback has made a dramatic comeback in the North Pacific. A 2008 study estimates the humpback population That That hit a low of 1.500 whales before hunting was banned worldwide, has made a comeback to a population of the between 18.000 and 20.000 Saxitoxin, a paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) from contaminated mackerel has been implicated in humpback whale DeathsThe United Kingdom, Among other countries, designated the humpback as a priority species under the national Biodiversity Action PlanIn August 2008, the IUCN changed humpback's status from Vulnerable to Least Concern, although two sub populations Remain endangered The United States is considering Populations of humpback separate listing, so That Smaller groups, Such as North Pacific humpbacks, the which are estimated to number from 18.000 to 20.000 animals, Might Be delisted.

Sperm Whale

  

The Life of Animals | Sperm Whale | The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale (odontocete) having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter. It is one of three extant species in the sperm whale superfamily, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale.

A bull can grow to 20.5 metres (67 ft) long. It is the largest living toothed animal. The sperm whale's clicking vocalization is the loudest sound produced by any animal, but its functions are uncertain. These whales live in groups called pods. Pods of females and their young live separately from older males. The sperm whale has few natural predators, since few are strong enough to successfully attack a healthy adult; orcas attack pods and kill calves. The sperm whale can live for more than 70 years.

Historically, the sperm whale was also known as the common cachalot; "cachalot" is derived from an archaic French word for "tooth". Over most of the period from the early 18th century until the late 20th century, the sperm whale was hunted to obtain spermaceti and other products, such as sperm oil and ambergris. Due to its size, the sperm whale could sometimes defend itself effectively against whalers. In the most famous example, a sperm whale attacked and sank the American whaleship Essex in 1820. As a result of whaling, the sperm whale is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. The name sperm whale is an apocopation of spermaceti whale. The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale, with adult males measuring up to 20.5 metres (67 ft) long and weighing up to 57,000 kilograms (56 long tons; 63 short tons). By contrast, the second largest toothed whale, Baird's Beaked Whale measures 12.8 metres (42 ft) and weighs up to 15 short tons (14,000 kg) The Nantucket Whaling Museum has a 5.5 metres (18 ft)-long jawbone. 

At birth both sexes are about the same size but mature males are typically 30% to 50% longer and three times as massive as females The sperm whale has 20 to 26 teeth on each side of its lower jaw The teeth are cone-shaped and weigh up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) The purpose of the teeth is unknown. Teeth do not appear to be necessary for capturing or eating squid, and well-fed animals have been found without teeth. The brain is the largest known of any modern or extinct animal, weighing on average about 8 kilograms (18 lb), though the sperm whale has a lower encephalization quotient than many other whale and dolphin species, lower than that of non-human anthropoid apes, and much lower than humans'. Like other toothed whales (suborder odontoceti), sperm whales use echolocation as one means to find food because their habitat has favorable acoustic characteristics, and light absorption by water and suspended material limits visual range. The whale emits a focused wide angle beam of high-frequency clicks. The lower jaw is the primary echo reception path. The sperm whale is among the most cosmopolitan species. It prefers ice-free waters over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep Although both sexes range through temperate and tropical oceans and seas, only adult males populate higher latitudes It inhabits the Mediterranean Sea, but not the Black Sea while its presence in the Red Sea is uncertain The shallow entrances to both the Black Sea and the Red Sea may account for their absence The Black Sea's lower layers are also anoxic and contain high concentrations of sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide

Coastal areas with significant sperm whale populations include the Azores and the Caribbean island of DominicaSperm whales can live 70 years or more.Calves can suckle from females other than their mothers Females generally have birth intervals of three to six years Females reach sexual maturity between 7 and 13 years; males follow beginning at 18 years. Females remain at lower latitudes Males reach their full size at about age Sperm whales are not the easiest of whales to watch, due to their long dive times and ability to travel long distances underwater. However, due to the distinctive look and large size of the whale, watching is increasingly popular. Sperm whale watchers often use hydrophones to listen to the clicks of the whales and locate them before they surface.