What are narwhals?
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros is unique amongst whales by having a specially adapted canine tooth protruding from its head. Normally only the male narwhal will grow a tusk. It is really the only tooth it will possess. It is a sort of inside out tooth, covered in nerve endings and softer on the outside and hard towards the centre.
The narwhal population is estimated to be in the region of 170,000 animals which live in the Arctic seas bordering the North Atlantic. Today, like all Arctic animals it is under threat from climate change and also to inbreeding and its low genetic diversity.
Are they related to unicorns?
The narwhal looks like a cross between a whale and a unicorn with its long, spiralled tusk jutting from its head. There are many legends about the tusk of the narwhal – it is essentially the origin of the myth of the unicorn as European whalers that were in the Arctic would catch narwhals and bring tusks back to Europe with great stories about what kind of animals the tusks were attached to. But in terms of the biology of the animal, the tusk is actually used for social structure, to establish dominance hierarchies and ranks of males within narwhal pods.
Not very much is known about narwhals, largely because they are difficult to study: They live in remote places, far from civilisations, in a habitat that is dark for half the year, covered in ice for half the year, and not easy to access. We do know that narwhals have adapted to be one of the deepest diving marine mammals, capable diving to depths of more than 1,800 metres and able to spend a large amount of their time below 800 metres. Not many animals can sustain such intense pressures below the surface of the water and stay under the water for so long.
What is in the library?
* All the popular Narwhal and Jelly series up to Book 6 by Ben Clanton as well as the puppets. Book 7 is coming in October, Narwhalicorn and Jelly.
* Wendell the Narwhal by Emily Dove
* Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
* Watch Out Little Narwhal by Jane Riordan and Richard Watson
* Starwhal by Matilda Rose and Tim Bugden
• Iced Out by C.K. Smouha and Isabella Bunnell
* Someday, Narwhal by Lisa Mantchev and Hyewon Yum
* Little Narwhal Not Alone by Tiffany Stone and Ashlyn Anstee
* Narwhals by Katie Woolley
* Narwhals Are Awesome by Jaclyn Jaycox
Such a curious creature - they almost don't seem real. I am glad there is a day to celebrate the Narwhal. And it is great that you have books to display too! The collective noun for a group of Narwhals is a blessing.
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