The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. Male narwhals weigh up to 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb), and the females weigh around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). Narwhals have a relatively restricted and specialized diet. Their prey is predominantly composed of Greenland halibut, polar and Arctic cod, shrimp and squid.
The tusk
The most conspicuous characteristic of the male narwhal is its single 2–3 meter (7–10 ft) long tusk. It is an incisor tooth that projects from the left side of the upper jaw and forms a left-handed helix. The narwhal tusk can be up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) long (compared with a body length of 4–6 meters (13–16 ft)) and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). About one in 500 males has two tusks, which occurs when the right incisor, normally small, also grows out. A female narwhal may also produce a tusk, but this occurs rarely.
Population
The world population is currently estimated to be around 75,000 individuals. Most of the world’s narwhals are concentrated in the fjords and inlets of Northern Canada and western Greenland.
Narwhals are a migratory species. In summer months they move closer to coasts, usually in pods of 10-100. As the winter freeze begins, they move away from shore, and reside in densely-packed ice, surviving in leads and small holes in the ice. As spring comes, these leads open up into channels and the narwhals return to the coastal bays.
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