The Pygmy Sperm Whale

Whales of the World

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The Pygmy Sperm Whale, or Kogia breviceps, resides in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. They have distinctive features which include a sharklike head and twelve to sixteen pairs of teeth. Their bodies can be anywhere up to 3.4 meters in length. This animal can weigh up to 408 kilograms. When they reach adulthood, they should be 2.7 to 3.4 meters in length, and weigh an average of 318 kilograms. The body is robust containing a funny shaped head and a narrow tail. The head can be square-like or conical depending upon the viewing perspective. The head changes along with the body size. It resembles that of the sperm whale except the jaw and the head are smaller. There is no beak. These animals are often mistaken for sharks. Behind their eyes, there is a bracket-shaped mark that is lightly pigmented. This mark resembles the gill slits of a fish so much that it has been named a false gill. Their colors consist of a dark bluish gray dorsally, fading to a lighter gray, and dull white or pink on the belly. They don't have functional teeth in their upper jaw. Females reach sexual maturity at a length of 2.6 to 2.8 meters and males at 2.7 to 3 meters. The gestation period is believed to last for eleven months. These animals enjoy eating fish, squid, crabs, and shrimp.

Andrea-Vanessa-Erica @ the Advanced Technologies Academy