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Blue whale
By: Will Thompson
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Description
• classification Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: B. musculus
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dimensions
• Shape- fishlike with flukes
• Length- 100 feet long
• Height- about 20 feet tall
• Weight- about 200 tons
• Colors and markings-molted blue gray with yellow underbellies.
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Habitat
• They live in all of the world’s oceans, following the krill.
• You will mainly find them in deeper water.
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Diet
• There diet mainly consists of krill.
• They eat up to 4 to 8 tons daily.
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Family life
• Offspring-Number born one, gestation-one year, when- winter in warm waters, care-they drink up to 379 liters daily, swim beside mother. Babies can grow up 1.5 inches and gain 200 pounds a day. Shelter- in water, other-young are up to 25feet long.
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Social behavior
• Blue whales usually live alone or in pairs, but sometimes live in pods, or groups.
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Characteristics
• Temper- blue whales are usually calm unless threatened or scared.
• Habits and behavior- they travel long distances for food and breeding.
• Defense- speed and whacking with tail.• Acquiring food- migrate with krill.• Life span- 80to90 years.• Other- average heart rate is 8 beats per
minute.
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History
• They were hunted for their blubber and oil before 1966. they were on the brink of extinction until they made laws against hunting whales.
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Present status
• They are now endangered because of poaching and their history.
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sources
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/blue-whale/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/blue-whale-interactive