Toothed whales facts for kids
The toothed whales are a group of amazing ocean animals. They are also known as Odontoceti. Unlike some other whales, these whales have teeth! This helps them hunt and eat their food.
Quick facts for kids Toothed whales |
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| Bottlenose dolphin | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Parvorder: | Odontoceti Flower, 1869 |
| Families | |
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| Diversity | |
| Around 73 | |
Toothed whales are a special type of cetacean. Cetaceans are a group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. There are about 73 different kinds of toothed whales.
What Makes Them Special?
Toothed whales are different from other whales because they have teeth. Other whales, called Mysticeti or baleen whales, have baleen plates instead of teeth. Baleen plates are like giant filters that help them strain tiny plankton from the water.
Because toothed whales have teeth, they are predators. This means they hunt and eat other animals. They can eat prey that is small, medium, or even very large.
Amazing Hunters of the Ocean
Many toothed whales are skilled hunters. For example, Sperm Whales are known for hunting giant squid deep in the ocean. They are very good at finding these large creatures.
Killer Whales, also called Orcas, are also powerful hunters. They often work together in groups to catch their food. By cooperating, Killer Whales can even hunt prey much bigger than themselves. This includes young Blue Whales.
Dolphins and porpoises are also types of toothed whales. They are known for being very smart and social. They often hunt fish and squid in groups.
Types of Toothed Whales
Toothed whales are divided into several groups. Here are some of the main families and types you might know:
- Dolphins and Porpoises: This group includes many familiar animals. It has Porpoises, Dolphins, Pilot Whales, Killer Whales, and the unique Narwhal.
- River Dolphins: Some toothed whales live in rivers instead of the ocean. This group includes different types of River Dolphins, like those found in South America. Sadly, the Chinese River Dolphin is now thought to be extinct.
- Sperm Whales: This group includes the giant Sperm Whales. They are the largest toothed predators on Earth.
- Beaked Whales: This group includes Bottlenose Whales and Beaked Whales. They often live in deep ocean waters and are not seen as often as dolphins.
Images for kids
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A whale as depicted by Conrad Gesner, 1587, in Historiae animalium
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Fossil of Squalodon
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Biosonar by cetaceans
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Spectrogram of dolphin vocalizations. Whistles, whines, and clicks are visible as upside down V's, horizontal striations, and vertical lines, respectively.
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Orca hunting a Weddell seal
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Atlantic white-sided dolphin caught in a drive hunt in Hvalba on the Faroe Islands being taken away with a forklift
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An orca by the name of Ulises performing at SeaWorld, 2009
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See also
In Spanish: Odontoceti para niños
