AnimalID

Name

5517

Bowheadwhale

LocationName:

Origin:

PurchaseCost:

RequiresResearch:

IsClimber:

IsJumper:

General Information

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Description:

The bowhead whale has a shovel shaped lower jaw that extends past and cups its narrow snout. It is this gigantic scooping mouth that gives the bowhead whale its name and its unique appearance. The bowhead whale gets its scientific name, Balaena mysticetus (moustached whale) from its enormous baleen, the largest of all baleen whales.The bowhead whale can grow up to sixty feet long and weigh as much as one hundred tons. Its triangular head and characteristic jaw account for over one third of its overall body length. The baleen plates behind the jaw can be fifteen feet long and contain three hundred and sixty plates. The bowhead whale is black in color, with a white chin. There is no dorsal fin on its long, round body.

Bowhead whales are fairly slow swimmers, averaging about four miles per hour. They do not dive very deep, and typically only remain below the water surface for five to ten minutes. However, they have been known to remain submerged for up to forty minutes. When the bowhead whale does surface to breathe, it creates a distinctive V-shaped waterspout.

Bowhead whales inhabit the frigid water of the Arctic. They migrate northwards in the spring to feed, and are forced southwards as the ice cover forms in the winter. The bowhead whale has the unique ability to break breathing holes in ice up to one foot thick, using its powerful back. Beluga whales are often known to follow bowheads during the winter, using the breathing holes left behind by their much larger cousins. When the ice thickens too quickly, bowhead whales can become trapped, and may starve or suffocate before they can escape.

Bowhead whales, like many other large whales, are filter feeders. They use their giant baleen plates to collect plankton from the water. These whales consume 4000 pounds of plankton each day during the short Arctic summer. They feed almost constantly, skimming the surface, or creating mud boils as they filter along the bottom in shallow waters. During the long winter, the bowhead whale feeds much less frequently, living mainly off its fat reserves.

Bowhead whales have not been well observed by scientists, so very little is known about their social behavior. These whales generally prefer to live alone, but are sometimes seen in small groups of up to six animals. They do vocalize, making sounds similar to groans, moans, grunts, and pops. It is not known for certain if these sounds enable the animals to communicate. Young bowhead whales are born about thirteen feet long, in the spring or summer, and remain with their mothers for about a year.

The only natural predator of the bowhead whale is the killer whale. But bowheads face a far larger threat than the occasional killer whale attack. Ever since their discovery, bowhead whales have been hunted by humans for their baleen, oil, and meat. Once bowhead whales could be found in the tens of thousands throughout the waters surrounding the North Pole. Now only five thousand bowheads remain, mostly found migrating between the Bering and Siberian Seas. Today bowhead whales are a protected species, and can only be hunted by Eskimos and other Native Americans.

Attractiveness Adult:

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ClimbsCliffs:

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers)

Which tank wall is suitable for this animal?     Remember that all tanks need a tank filter!

How big should the exhibit be and what Depth should the tank be?

What foliage should be used?

What rocks should be used?

What shelter does the animal need?

What toy does the animal like?

Does this animal perform in a show?

No

TankWallName

Purchase Cost

See Through

Height

Strength

Life

Cost Effective

Concrete Edge and Glass

$125

Yes

3

500

13

10.4

Atlantean Tank Wall

$125

Yes

3

500

13

10.4

Solid Concrete

$125

No

3

500

13

10.4

Black Bar and Glass

$130

Yes

3

500

13

10.0

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Animal Density

Min

Number of Animals/Exhibit

Max

90

1

3

Terrain Name

Value

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Rocks

Foliage

Exhibit Size

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Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

TreeName

Foliage Effect

Cost/ Square

Cost Effective

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Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

RockName

Size X

Size Y

Rock

Rock Effect

Purchase Cost

Cost Effective

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Shelter ID

Shelter Name

Shelter Value

Shelter Effect

Purchase Cost

Capacity

none

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Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ToyID

ToyName

ToyValue

PurchaseCost

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The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ReproductionChance:

SickChance:

5

ReproductionInterval(months):

SickChange:

-12

HappyReproduceThreshold:

DeathChance:

5

Offspring:

TimeDeath(months):

36

BabyToAdult(months):

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SalinityHealthChange:

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ExtremelyMurkyWaterThreshold

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General Information

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Who do they like to live with and eat?

Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

KeeperFoodType:

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Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?