Blue+whale+2

Animal: Animal Group: Description of animal group: || blue whale mammal mammals are warm blooded creatures such as humans and a group of any whale is called a pod || Observation Describe your animal (Colour, size, body parts) || The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived on Earth. It is also the [|loudest animal on Earth]. These enormous mammals eat tiny organisms, like [|plankton] and [|krill], which they sieve through [|baleen]. They live in pods (small groups). These gray-blue whales have 2 blowholes and a 2-14 inch (5-30 cm) thick layer of blubber.
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 * __**Description**__

Blue whales grow to be about 80 feet (25 m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons (109 tonnes). The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29 m) long weighing more 174 tons (158 tonnes). The females are larger than males, as with all baleen whales. The largest of the blue whales (150 tons) has a heart that weighs about 1,000 pounds (450 kg) and has 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg) of blood circulating in its body. The heart is about the size of a Volkswagon bug car. A human could crawl through the aorta (a major blood vessel).  || Describe how your animal behaves (moves, flies, runs) || Blue whales are very fast swimmers; they normally swim 3-20 mph (4.8-32 kph), but can go up to 24-30 mph (38-48 kph) in bursts when in danger. Feeding speeds are slower, about 1-4 mph (1.6-6.2 kph). || Where it lives || Blue whales live at the surface of the ocean and are found in all the oceans of the world. Blue whales are offend found in Antarctica || What it eats How it eats || Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed tiny crustaceans ([|krill], copepods, etc.), [|plankton], and small fish from the water. They are gulpers, filter feeders that alternatively swim then gulp a mouthful of plankton or fish - they lunge into dense groups of small sea organisms (krill or tiny fish) with an open mouth. 50 to 70 throat pleats allow the throat to expand a great deal, forming a gular pouch. The water is then forced through the baleen plates hanging from the upper jaw. The baleen catches the food, acting like a sieve. The blue whale has about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles in the blue whale's jaws. They are about 39 inches long (1 m), 21 inches wide (53 cm), and weigh 200 pounds (90 kg). The tongue weighs 4 tons (3.8 tonnes). An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900-4100 kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold, arctic waters ( about 120 days). || How does it have babies? How does it care for its babies? How long do they live? || Blue whale breeding occurs mostly in the winter to early spring while near the surface and in warm waters. The gestation period is about 11-12 months and the calf is born tail first (this is normal for cetaceans) and near the surface in warm, shallow waters. The newborn instinctively swims to the surface within 10 seconds for its first breath; it is helped by its mother, using her flippers. Within 30 minutes of its birth the baby whale can swim. The newborn calf is about 25 feet long (7.6 m) and weighs about 6-8 tons (5.4-7.3 tonnes). Twins are extremely rare (about 1% of births); there is almost always one calf. The baby is nurtured with its mother's fat-laden milk (it is 40-50% fat) and is weaned in about 7-8 months. Calves drink 50-200 pounds (23-90 kg) of milk each day. The mother and calf may stay together for a year or longer, until the calf is about 45 feet long (13 m). Blue whales reach maturity at 10-15 years. || What does it do during the day and night? || blue whales do many things during the day if the have a calf they have to find food to feed it and herself. If you dont have a calf you are still looking for food. || How has it changed over time in Antarctica? ||  || Type in the content of your page here.
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 * **__Habitat:__**
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 * **__Feeding Habits:__**
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 * **__Breeding Habits:__**
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 * **Threats:** || Packs of killer whales (orcas) have been known to attack and kill young blue whales. Man also hunted blue whales until the International Whaling Commission declared them to be a protected species in 1966 because of a huge decrease in their population. ||
 * Source 1: || http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bluewhale.shtml ||
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 * **Other Facts:** || blue whales tongues weigh more than a elephant ||
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