Bre's Blog
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Narwhals are most closely related to the beluga whale. Male narwhals feature a unique from the upper left jaw that looks like a tusk or a horn. In medieval times, people believed that narwhal tusks were the horns of the legendary unicorn.In reality, though, a narwhal tusk is not a unicorn horn. In fact, it's not a horn at all. Would you believe it's a tooth? It's true! Male narwhals have a left incisor tooth that grows outward straight through the left side of the upper jaw. It can grow up to almost 10 feet in length with a distinctive spiral shape. Female narwhals also have a similar tusk that's much shorter and straighter.Narwhals feed on fish that swim deep under the Arctic ice. In fact, narwhals are known for making some of the deepest dives of any marine mammal. Narwhals have been known to dive to depths of over 2,500 feet over 15 times per day, with some dives reaching as deep as almost 5,000 feet!The name narwhal comes from the Old Norse words nar (corpse) and whal (whale). Narwhals were likely called “ corpse whales" because of their pale, mottled coloring that made them look like drowned sailor. people believed narwhal tusks were unicorn horns with magical powers, such as the ability to render poison harmless. As a result, traders could sell narwhal tusks for many times their weight in gold.Royalty bought these tusks to make cups they believed would keep them from ever being poisoned.
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AuthorI'm a 5th grader that lives in Iowa. I love to hang out with my friends and family!<3 Archives
March 2018
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