03rd December 2024 (9 Topics)
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Spade-Toothed Whale Examination
Context
A spade-toothed whale, believed to be the world's rarest whale species, is being examined in New Zealand. This is the first time that a complete specimen of the spade-toothed whale is being dissected, providing scientists with valuable insights into the species.
Key Facts About the Species
- Spade-toothed whales are named after their spade-shaped teeth, resembling the "flensing" blade once used to strip whales of their blubber.
- Almost nothing is known about the enigmatic species.
- Only seven specimens of this species have been documented since the 1800s, with all but one found in New Zealand.
- New Zealand is a whale-stranding hotspot, with more than 5,000 episodes recorded since 1840.
- The first spade-toothed whale bones were found in 1872 on New Zealand’s Pitt Island. Another discovery was made at an offshore island in the 1950s, and the bones of a third were found on Chile’s Robinson Crusoe Island in 1986.
- These whales are deep divers, rarely seen at sea, and live in some of the deepest ocean trenches in the South Pacific Ocean, where they hunt squid and small fish.
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