What are some examples of small toothed whales?
This page is devoted to the smaller toothed whales, including the Pygmy Killer Whale, the Melon-Headed Whale, the False Killer Whale, the Pilot Whales, and the Killer Whale. The term whaleusually refers to size, not taxonomic classification.
Do whales have enamel on their teeth?
Only in larger whales, where the cementum is worn away on the tip of the tooth, does enamel show. Except for the sperm whale, most toothed whales are smaller than the baleen whales. The teeth differ considerably among the species. They may be numerous, with some dolphins bearing over 100 teeth in their jaws.
What is a whale?
The term whaleusually refers to size, not taxonomic classification. These whales are nearly always classified in the family Delphinidae, with the rest of the oceanic dolphins. They are more closely related to the dolphins than to any of the other whales.
What is a Globicephalinae whale?
The subfamily Globicephalinae includes all of the smaller toothed whales and the Risso's dolphin. The Risso's dolphin has its own pageand is treated with the rest of the oceanic dolphins.
What is the smallest toothed whale?
the dwarf sperm whaleAmong the 72 toothed whale species in existence (and among all whale species), the dwarf sperm whale is the smallest with a length of nearly nine feet. This small toothed whale weighs between 400 to 600 lbs on average.
What is another name for toothed whales?
odontocetesThe toothed whales (also called odontocetes, systematic name Odontoceti) are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and sperm whales.
What are types of toothed whales?
Sperm whaleBeaked whalePygmy sperm whalePhyseteroi...Dwarf sperm whaleAmazon river dolphinToothed whale/Lower classifications
What is the largest toothed whale the smallest?
Read a brief summary of this topic. sperm whale, (Physeter catodon), also called cachalot, the largest of the toothed whales, easily recognized by its enormous square head and narrow lower jaw. The sperm whale is dark blue-gray or brownish, with white patches on the belly.
What are the two types of whales?
The order Cetacea, that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises is divided into two main groups: the toothed whales (Odontocetes) and the baleen or whalebone whales (Mysticetes). Toothed whales include dolphins, porpoises, as well as the large sperm and killer whales.
How many species of toothed whales are there?
76 toothed whale speciesThere are 76 toothed whale species altogether and they are grouped into ten families: the sperm whale; the dwarf and pygmy sperm whale; the beluga and narwhal; the beaked whales; the oceanic dolphins; the four river dolphins (each one is placed in a family of their own); and the porpoise family.
Is there a whale with teeth?
Whales With Teeth Some whales have teeth, and all dolphins and porpoises have teeth. Approximately 65 different species of toothed whales exist. Toothed whales have one blowhole. These whales tend to be smaller in size than baleen whales.
Is an Orca a whale?
Orcas have a lot of characteristics in common with whales, but taxonomically, they're actually dolphins!
What is the most common whale?
Minke whalesMinke whales may, in fact, be the most abundant whale species in our area, but their small(er) size, fast speed, and usually shy nature make them difficult to spot (especially on rough weather days when they tend to disappear in the troughs between waves).
What is Whale Sperm called?
SpermacetiSpermaceti is derived from Medieval Latin sperma ceti, meaning "whale sperm" (from Latin sperma meaning "semen" or "seed", and ceti, the genitive form of "whale"). The substance was initially believed to be whale semen, due to its appearance when fresh. The substance is also the origin of the name of the sperm whale.
What is the second smallest whale?
Minke WhaleMinke Whale The Minke Whale is the second smallest Baleen whale (Pygmy Right Whale is the first).
Is an Orca a whale or a dolphin?
dolphinsOrcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring.
Is a sperm whale a toothed whale?
Called odontocetes—from the Greek for “toothed whales”—toothed whales are the bigger group, comprising about 70 of the whale species living today. The group includes beaked whales and sperm whales.
Are all toothed whales dolphins?
Toothed whales include dolphins and orcas, or killer whales, as they're often known. In fact, orcas are the largest dolphins, growing to be about 32 feet (10 meters) long. Many dolphins only average eight to nine feet (2-3 meters) in length. So yes, orcas are dolphins, and dolphins are whales!
What is the scientific name for baleen whales?
MysticetiBaleen whales / Scientific nameBaleen whales (systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve planktonic creatures from the water.
Is an Orca a whale?
Orcas have a lot of characteristics in common with whales, but taxonomically, they're actually dolphins!