M+monoceros



//Monodon monocerus// // Narwhal //  // or Unicorn Whale // //Animal Classification//


 * **Genus**: Monodon
 * **Species**: Monodon
 * **Class**: Mammalia
 * **Order**: Cetartiodactyla
 * **Family**: Monodontidae

Scientific Name- Monodon monoceros

//Endangered Species Act//

decreased significantly between 1996 and 2008. The Narwhal is hunted primarily for its tusk or horn. Although the Narwhal is not considered threatened, it is currently near threatened because of its dramatic population decrease.
 * Year Assessed**: 2008
 * Justification**: The Narwhal is near threatened because it is hunted in mostly Canada and Greenland and their population has

//Description of Habitat//

**Salinity** 32 - 35 PPS
 * Habitat**: Atlantic Ocean
 * Temp. Range** 5° C - 10 °C
 * Latitude Range** 60 - 90 °N

The Narwhal remains in Deep water for all of the year except when they migrate and spend 2 months in shallow bays. Feeds on bottom of deeper water.


 * Geological Processes**
 * Earthquakes
 * Volcanoes
 * Subduction


 * Atlantic Ocean Currents**
 * Labrador Current
 * Gulf Stream
 * North Equatorial Current
 * South Equatorial Current
 * North Brazil Current
 * Guinea Current
 * Angola Current
 * Brazil Current
 * Benguela current
 * South Atlantic Current

The Narwhal migrates for about two months of the year from deep ice covered ocean to shallow bay areas where there is no threat of being trapped under ice filled waters. The Narwhal travel in groups of around twenty to thirty.
 * Migration Patterns**
 * Population**
 * Approximately 80,000
 * The Narwhal population has been decreasing.

 //Appearance // //Size // Color
 * Cylindrical body with a distinctive tusk found usually only on males.[[image:narwhal-poly.jpg.jpeg align="right"]]
 * **Head-to-tail length**: 400–500 cm
 * **Male tusk length**: 150–267 cm
 * **Length at birth**: 150 –170 cm
 * **Average Weight**: 1764–3527 lbs
 * Blue, black, grey and white body.
 * White tusk.
 * Older males are white.

// Reproduction //
 * **Gestation Period:** 14 months
 * Parents take care of their young for about 4 months after giving birth to the calves.

 //Anatomy//
 * **Long Spiral tooth** or tusk found generally in males but sometimes females the Narwhal uses this spiral tusk possibly for asymmetrical propulsion or using it to stir up food or even defense.
 * **Dorsal Ridge** located on the back of the Narwhal to stabilize and helps it to turn and maneuver more easily through the ice covered water.
 * **Flukes** better known as the tail, is used to propulsion through the water, curved at the end giving it the appearance similar to an anchor. The Narwhal has a concave tail rather than convex.
 * **No functional teeth** for feeding. The Narwhal only have 2 elongated teeth in the upper jaw eventually developing into the spiral tusk.
 * **Insulation** of blubber or fatty tissues keeps Narwhal's warm in their habitat with freezing waters. This layer can be up to 10 cm thick.
 * **Melon fatty organ located on the top of the Narwhal's forehead used for echolocation or communication with series of clicks and other sounds. **
 * **Patchy Discoloration** resembling livor mortis or when blood settles beneath the skin. The patchy discoloration is a key distinction between the Narwhal and other whales such as the Beluga.
 * **Blowhole** located on the top of the head serves for the primary purpose to breathe through when the Narwhal surfaces. The Narwhal has only one blowhole.
 * **Flippers** are small and rounded location on the sides of the Narwhal
 * The Narwhal has a **short head** and **blunt snout**.

<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: 110%;">//Food Chain // **The Narwhal eats....**
 * [[image:narwhal-in-the-water.jpg.jpeg width="420" height="277" align="right"]]Shrimp
 * Squid
 * Cod
 * Halibut
 * Small Fish
 * The Narwhal is prey to...**
 * Killer Whales
 * Polar Bears
 * Greenland Sharks
 * Walruses

<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">//Economic Importance//
 * <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal;"> The Narwhal is used as a source of food to the people in the surrounding areas of the Arctic.
 * The blubber is used to make oil.
 * The tusk is traded.

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">//Threats// Threats to the Narwhal population include....
 * **Climate Change**
 * **Industrial Pollution**
 * **Hunting**

The Narwhal is being chased into endangerment primarily because of its unique ivory tusk that the male Narwhals possess. The tusk is sold in markets all over Greenland and Canada as well as being exported. Also many Narwhals are threatened because of the lack of open water in their habitat. The majority of their habitat is made up of ice. If the Narwhal surface there is a good chance that it may become lodged in a small gap in the ice and die. Because of global warming their habitat has become significantly smaller because they stay in colder climates with a majority of ice covering.

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">//Conservation Efforts// <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> The attempt to protect the species is to ban the import of tusks in the European Union. <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">

Solutions
 * More countries should ban the import on ivory rather than only the European Union. Putting a ban on the tusks would eventually terminate the demand for the Narwhals tusk, resulting in a higher population and less threat to the species.
 * Greenland, Canada and other countries within range of the Narwhal population should ban the export of the tusk. If the export is banned, fisherman would struggle to export such items, eventually giving up on hunting the Narwhal.
 * Greenland, Canada and other countries need to monitor fishing boats and ban any vessels from obtaining Narwhal. If the Narwhal was off limits completely there would be absolutely no issue and the population would rise dramatically.

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">**Questions** 1. What does the Narwhal eat? 2. Where is the Narwhal found? 3. What is the Narwhal hunted for? 4. How does the Narwhal communicate?

Citations
 * []
 * [| http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13704/0]
 * [|http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/Narwhal.htm]
 * http://www.arkive.org/species/narwhal/monodon-monoceros/facts-and-status.html
 * http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic41-3-236.pdf
 * http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/zone/underwater_sous-marin/narwhal/narwhal-eng.htm