AnimalID

Name

5405

Humpback Whale

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Origin:

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IsJumper:

General Information

Building an Exhibit

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Description:

Although the humpback whale gets its common name from the small bumps on its back, its Latin name, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "huge Wings, New England"--the "huge wings" of these enormous baleen whales are their flippers, and although often spotted in New England waters, humpback whales are found all over the world.

An adult humpback whale can be up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 50 tons. These massive animals are so large that their hearts alone can weigh as much as 430 pounds. The huge flippers measure about a third of their body length. These giant flippers can be used to herd fish or calves, to steer, or to pound on the water as a signal or a threat. Humpbacks are generally dark gray or black in color, but some are gray or off-white. They darken in color as they age. The patches of coloration on their flukes are unique to each individual whale and are often used in identifying individual animals.

The sensory knobs of a humpback whale are called tubercles. These tennis ball sized organs are found on the upper and lower jaw. Each tubercle has a single hair, which is used to detect vibrations. These vibrations can give the whale information about water movement or the location of prey.

Humpback whales are baleen whales. Instead of teeth, baleen whales have pairs of thin, long plates that hang from their upper jaws. These plates are made of a hard material, similar to that of human fingernails. A humpback whale may possess over 300 pairs of these plates.

Some baleen whales eat by skimming, constantly filtering small organisms out of the water with their baleen and consuming them. The humpback whale, however, is a gulper. They drive their prey (sand lance, herring, capelin, other small fish, squid, and krill) into circles and gulp large quantities of them into their baleen at once. In order to force their prey into a small area, humpback whales can blow bubbles, creating a kind of net out of them. Humpbacks have been known to trap hundreds of krill in one of these bubbles nets.

Humpback whales are found in temperate to tropical waters all over the world. They feed in the cooler waters during most of the year, and then migrate thousands of miles to warmer breeding grounds. Male humpback whales are almost always found alone, other than during breeding season. Females will often feed in groups of three to four animals. Larger groups are not possible because of the large amount of food each animal needs to survive.

Humpback whales are well known for their songs. These songs are long--up to thirty minutes--and made up of complex arrangements of grunts, clicks, and squeaks. Only the males sing, and they do so only in the breeding grounds. Scientists think that whales, like birds, may use song to help attract a mate. Male whales do not tolerate the songs of other whales well. Most singing males keep about three miles from each other.

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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

90

1

3

Terrain Name

Value

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Rocks

Foliage

Exhibit Size

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

TreeName

Foliage Effect

Cost/ Square

Cost Effective

General Information

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

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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

General Information

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?

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General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

mermaid

10

KeeperFoodType:

Krill

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?