Taxonomy Kingdon: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Family: Monodontidae Genus: Delphinapterus Species: Delphinapterus leucas Name Common name: White whale, beluga whale. Its name comes from the Russian world “beloye” meaning white. Scientific name: Delphinapterus leucas. Delphinapterus means dolphin without a wing – or dorsal fin. Habitat and Distribution Beluga whales are widely […]
Read moreTaxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Phociadae Genus: Pagophilus Species: Pagophilus Groenlandicus 0 0 Name Common name: Harp seal or Greenland seal. Scientific name: Pagophilus Groenlandicus Distribution and Habitat The harp seal (Pagaphilus groenlandicus) is a marine mammal that lives in defined breeding grounds in the Arctic. There are three populations. The […]
Read moreo o Name Scientific name: Megaptera novaenanglia. Megaptera is derived from the Greek mega for “large” and pteron for “wing”. Novaeangliae for New England where the humpback was first described scientifically. Common name: Humpback whale, hump whale, hunchbacked whale. Conservation Status The humpback whale is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Its status was […]
Read moreTaxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Artiodactyla Monodontidae Monodon Monodon monoceros Interesting facts During winter sometimes narwhals get trapped under fast forming pack ice. They attempt to keep the breathing hole open with their tusks but die of exhaustion and suffocation unable to breathe. Tusks are overgrown teeth. […]
Read more0 Name Scientific name: Orcinus orca Common name: Orca whale, killer whale. Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Orcinus Species: Orcinus orca 0 Physical Features The orca whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. They have large black body with white belly and a grey […]
Read moreTaxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Ursidae Ursus Ursus maritimus 0 0 Name Scientific name: Ursus maritimus Common name: White bear, ice bear, polar bear. Distribution and Habitat The polar bear is distributed throughout the Arctic Circle and surrounding areas. Their range is limited by the extent of sea […]
Read moreName Common name: Sperm Whale, Spermacet Whale, Cachelot, Pot Whale. “Spermaceti”, the organ in the head of the whale which contains an oily liquid once believed to be sperm. Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus. Physeter is derived from the Greek word for “blowpipe or blowhole” Macrocephalus is derived from Greek meaning “big head”. Conservation Status […]
Read more0 Conservation Status Walruses have been part of the culture of many indigenous Arctic cultures for thousands of years. They have hunted them for their meat, skin, blubber, tusks and bones. During the 19th and early 20th century its population was rapidly depleted. The Pacific species has rebounded since then but the Atlantic and Laptev […]
Read moreo Interesting facts Of the 9 species of fur seals in the world’s oceans only the Northern fur seal lives in the northern hemisphere. Northern fur seals are more closely related to sea lions than to true seals, both have external earflaps, which true seals lack. They also have the ability to walk on all […]
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