AnimalID

Name

5406

Sperm Whale

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General Information

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Description:

The sperm whale, or Physeter catodon, is the largest member of the Physeteridae family. Although the largest of the toothed whales, the sperm whale was on its way to becoming the rarest during the days of whale hunting. The sperm whale is prized for the spermaceti organ in its head. Each spermaceti organ may contain up to 3,000 quarts of valuable spermaceti oil.

A full-grown male sperm whale can be up to 70 feet long, but is likely to be less than 50. Females are smaller, rarely growing longer than 40 feet and weighing only a third of the weight of the average adult male. Males of the species don’t reach full growth until the age of 25, but since these long lived whales can easily reach 70 years of age, they have plenty of time.

The head and snout of the sperm whale are its predominant features. The sperm whale’s head alone often accounts for over a quarter of its body length. The whale’s head and belly are usually lighter in color than the dark brownish gray of the rest of its rough skin. The head of the sperm whale features a single blowhole and massive jaws, as well as the largest brain of any known animal. There are teeth on both the upper and lower jaws, but the upper teeth are very small and frequently never erupt from the gum. A double set of teeth is unnecessary for the bulk of the sperm whale’s diet.The sperm whale has a single dorsal ridge, as well as a series of small bumps along the back, behind the ridge. A thick layer of blubber--four to twelve inches--protects the sperm whale from the cold. Some of these whales are distinguished by large colonies of barnacles on their heads. The barnacles do not hurt the whales, but simply travel with them, filtering food out of the water.

Sperm whales are found throughout the world. They can be found in all temperate and tropical oceans. In the Atlantic, they are most often found between the Davis Straights and Venezuela, and in the Pacific between the Bering Sea and the Equator. Since sperm whales need deep water to feed, they are not often found near the coast. Most sightings are along the edge of the continental shelf, where the water becomes much deeper very quickly.The primary food of the sperm whale is squid. They can dive to great depths in search of squid of all sizes, including the Giant Squid. In fact, these whales are so well adapted to eating Giant Squid that their lower intestines produce a substance called ambergris solely to help move the beaks of Giant Squid through the digestive system. Sperm whales need to consume about a ton of food each day. When squid are in short supply they will eat fish and octopi and have even been observed attacking sharks.

Sperm whales live in pods and are extremely protective of other pod members, especially of the calves. A sperm whale calf is born 12 feet long and weighing a ton. Mother sperm whales give birth to calves tail-first, so they will not drown during birth. Even after learning to hunt for themselves, juvenile sperm whales will stay with their mothers for years, being cared for and fed. Other females in the pod baby-sit while the mother feeds.

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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

130

1

3

Terrain Name

Value

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Rocks

Foliage

Exhibit Size

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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

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Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

RockName

Size X

Size Y

Rock

Rock Effect

Purchase Cost

Cost Effective

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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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The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ToyID

ToyName

ToyValue

PurchaseCost

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General Information

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The Life Cycle

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Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

KeeperFoodType:

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?