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Cuvier’s Beaked Whale
Ziphius cavirotris
Cuvier’s
beaked whale is a member of an unusual group of about 20
species of toothed or bottlenose whales. New species are being
added to the list and the taxonomy of the group is uncertain.
They have a beak shaped nose and most species have a only a
pair of teeth that erupt in the lower jaw of males. It varies
in color from slate grey to dark brown. Head and back of
mature males are silvery grey. Fighting between males leave
many tell-tale scars on the combatants. Cuvier’s beaked whales
travel in small pods of under 10 individuals. It is shy around
boats and is an oceanic species. Little is known about its
ecology or social organization. Cuvier’s beaked whale inhabits
the deep ocean outside the polar regions (Wilson and Ruff
1999). It makes long deep dives of three quarters to hour
duration to
depths as much as 1450 meters (Baird
et al. 2005).
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale Facts
Length: 7 meters
Weight: 2500 kg
Food: squid
Newborn: 2 - 3 meters long
Social Status: Commonly found
in groups of 2 - 7
Lifespan: 25 years
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale
Distribution Map
References
Baird R.W., D. L. Webster, D. J. McSweeney, A. D. Ligon
and G. S. Schorr 2005.
Diving behaviour and ecology of Cuvier’s
(Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon
densirostris) in Hawaii. Cascadia Research Report
on line.
Connor, R.C.,
J. Mann, P. L. Tyack and H. Whitehead. 1998. Social evolution
in toothed whales. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 13:
228-232.
Wilson, D. and
S. Ruff. 1999. Smithsonian book of North American mammals. UBC
Press, Vancouver.
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