FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Are you fond of whales, dolphins, and porpoises like the bowhead whale and spinner dolphin? We present to you, southern bottlenose whales. As they are found near Antarctica, they are also known as the Antarctic bottlenose.
The southern bottlenose whale distribution is mainly spread across the Southern Hemisphere and the southern bottlenose whale habitat is mainly the temperate marine waters of the Southern Hemisphere. They are majorly located near the Antarctic waters and extend up to the tropical waters near South Africa. Based on a worn skull William Henry Flower, a zoologist first described the Antarctic bottlenose. These whales have a small dorsal fin and flippers. The males are comparatively bigger and heavier in size in comparison to the females. Few physical differences between the sexes are depicted in this species, so sexual dimorphism is present in this species.
For more relatable content, check out these blue whale facts and gray whale facts for kids.
The southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) is a type of whale.
The southern bottlenose whale belongs to the class Mammalia of the Animalia kingdom.
Southern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon planifrons) are not a widely researched or a known species of whales. However, few reports claim that the southern bottlenose whale population range was around 55,000-74,000 individuals about a few years ago.
Southern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon planifrons) are primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere of the world. This can also be understood from their name which indicates that they live predominantly in the Southern Ocean that is located in the Southern Hemisphere. These whales can also be found in some parts of the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and as well as in the Antarctic Ocean. These marine mammals have also been located near western Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Argentina, South Africa, and Brazil.
These whales are marine mammals and they are solely aquatic animals. These animals are deep divers and are usually found at depths of over 3,280.8 ft (1,000 m) in deep oceans. These animals tend to prefer cold waters and they move towards Antarctica during the summers. However, during winters, in search of warmer waters, they move to the temperate and tropical waters.
These whales are highly social animals. These whales live in small herds that range from around 2-12 individuals. Southern bottlenose whales actively take part in numerous activities together as one unified compact group. They travel, hunt, and also dive together.
The southern bottlenose whale life cycle spans over 50 years for males. For females, the lifespan is above a minimum of 37 years.
It is assumed that the reproductive process of these whales is very similar to their relatives, northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus). The time taken to reach sexual maturity in these whales tends to take a longer time in comparison with other animals. The males attain sexual maturity at 8-12 years of age while the females attain maturity at 7-11 years. Calving usually occurs after almost two years. The gestation period in these whales is also long and takes a total timespan of around 12 months. After a year, the process of weaning takes place.
The IUCN Red List has listed the southern bottlenose whales as a species of Least Concern. The population trend has been unknown over the last couple of years as not much is known about this species of whale. Human activities like the destruction of habitat like water pollution, climate change, and oil spills play an active role in the depletion of these species. However, since they are still considered as a species of Least Concern, we have nothing to fear about their extinction.
These animals have a cylinder body shape with a tapered tail. They are short-beaked whales that extend from their foreheads. The foreheads are different in males compared to the females and young ones. We can say that sexual dimorphism is evident in these whales. The dorsal fin is located in the lower half of the body and bears the shape of a sickle. The flippers are also short in size. These beaked whales are gray-brownish in color while the color fades and becomes paler in the sides and the under portions.
We've been unable to source an image of a southern bottlenose whale and have used an image of a humpback whale instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a southern bottlenose whale, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].
Humans, in general, have a tendency of being afraid of large animals like whales, therefore the majority of the human population will find these animals scary. However, marine biologists and animal lovers are bound to find these whales to be adorable.
Owing to very limited data and information being available, not much is known about the communicative methods of the southern bottlenose whale. However, as sounding is very common in all species of whales, the southern bottlenose whale is also no different. Sounding is often seen when the whales come to the water surface after long dives. A variety of sounds like whistles and clicks are heard which act as means of communication among these species. These are highly social animals and they communicate effectively with members of their herd.
This beaked whale attains lengths of 22-25.6 ft (6.7-7.8 m). In comparison with a fin whale which is 60-80 ft (18.3-24.4 m), we can say that the latter is larger in size.
The exact speed at which these whales travel is currently unknown. However, we can make an assumption based on the speed of their counterparts, northern bottlenose whales. The latter usually swims at a speed of 3.1 mph (5 kph). But these whales can attain speeds of 16.8 mph (27 kph) for short bursts.
The beaked whale or the southern bottlenose whale size weighs around 13,668.7-17,416.5 lb (6,200-7,900 kg). In comparison with the sperm whale which is 30864.7-90389.5 lb (14,000-41,000 kg), we can say that the latter is heavier in weight.
There are distinct and unique names that are used to refer to male and female whales. While the males are known as bulls, their female counterparts are known as cows.
Just like all other species of whales, baby whales are known as calves. Therefore, in the case of a southern bottlenose whale baby, they are also known as calves, or more accurately it would be known as a southern bottlenose whale calf.
These species of whales are carnivorous animals, and they only feed on animal flesh. The southern bottlenose whale diet is known to be primarily mollusks like squids. They also feed on other fishes like Patagonian tooth-fish that are found in their habitat.
It is currently unknown whether these whales are dangerous to humans. However, there have been no records of these whales attacking humans. Bottlenose whales in general are friendly animals and have depicted great curiosity when it comes to humans.
It would be unwise to keep these whales as pets. There are many reasons for this. First of all, you need to have a wide space to keep these animals. Next, you will have to recreate the habitat and then the ecosystem of the ocean in your home backyard or tank. Lastly, keeping whales as pets is illegal in many countries. It would be a terrible idea to keep these animals as pets.
These whales are active divers and they are prone to dive for a long span of time. These dives can often span up to 45 minutes.
The primary reason as to why these genera of whales are known as bottlenose whales is mainly due to them being beaked whales. The northern bottlenose (Hyperoodon ampullatus) is derived from the Latin where 'ampulla' literally means 'a bottle', which is the shape of the beak of these whales.
Not all southern bottlenose whales have teeth. Only adult males are known to have teeth. The functional teeth consist of a single pair that is located right at the tip of the lower jaw. Two conical teeth are also found in the lower jaw.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our cheetah interesting facts and Asian elephant surprising facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable short-finned pilot whale coloring pages.
Main image by Gabriel Barathieu
Second image by Henrik Dreisler
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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