ACS/Cabrillo Aquarium Whale Watch Test Flashcards
The GROUP of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises is _______. Animals in this order are called ________.
The GROUP of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises is Cetacea. Animals in this order are called Cetaceans.
List the characteristics shared by cetaceans and other mammals.
The shared characteristics are:
1) Warm Blooded
2) Hair
3) Air breathers
4) Live young
5) Eat milk
Toothed whales belong to suborder _________.
Toothed whales belong to suborder Odontoceti.
The Odontocetes have how many blowhole(s)?
The Odontocetes (toothed-whales) have one blowhole?
How many blowhole(s) do the Mysticetes have?
Mysticetes have two blowholes.
If a whale has baleen it is a member of which suborder?
Baleen whales are members of the suborder Mysticeti and are called Mysticetes.
What is the proper Genus species for the Pacific Gray Whale?
Eschrichtius robustus
What is the current estimate of the population of Pacific Gray whales?
The current estimate is 21,000 whales.
What are two different parasites commonly found on Gray whales?
Barnacles (1 species) and Lice (3 species).
Gray whales can live _____ years or more.
Gray whales can live 60 years or more.
Gray whales can weigh up to ______ tons.
Gray whales can weigh up to 40 tons.
Are Gray whale females or males larger?
The female Gray whale is slightly larger than the male.
What is the average length of the gray whale?
(note: it’s a range)
The average length of a gray whale is
40 to 45 feet.
What is the maximum known length for the gray whale?
The known maximum length is 50 feet.
How many throat grooves do gray whales have?
Gray whales have 2 to 5 throat grooves or ventral pleats.
What type of breathing do gray whales employ?
Gray whales are Voluntary breathers. They must consciously control each breath.
What material is baleen made from and what are two things that humans have that are made from the same material?
Baleen is made of Keratin. Our hair and nails are also made of keratin.
Gray whale milk has a consistency
resembling _____ _____.
Gray whale milk has a consistency
resembling Cottage Cheese.
A mother whale is called a ______ and the offspring is considered a ________.
A mother whale is called a cow and the offspring is considered a calf.
A newborn gray whale calf averages _____ to _____ pounds.
A newborn gray whale calf averages 1000 to 1500 pounds.
Gray whales average _____ to _____ feet in length at birth.
Gray whales average 12 to 16 feet in length at birth.
How long do gray whales calves usually nurse?
Gray whale calves usually nurse for 7 to 9 months.
What is the fat content of gray whale milk?
Gray whale milk has roughly 53% butterfat.
(Humans milk contains about 4.5% fat)*
*Belitz, H. (2009). Food Chemistry (4th ed.). Berlin: Springer. p. 501 [table 10.5]. ISBN 978-3-540-69935-4.
What can be found the each dimple of a gray whale calf?
There is a hair in each dimple.
Which historical stock of gray whale is now extinct?
The North Atlantic stock has been hunted to extinction.
Which historical stock of gray whale is critically endangered?
The Western Pacific stock of gray whale is critically endangered.
The Eastern Pacific gray whale was removed in 1994 from the _____ _____ _____ _____.
The Eastern Pacific gray whale was removed in 1994 from the Endangered Species Act List.
Protection is afforded to gray whales and, in fact, all marine mammals by the _____ _____ _____ _____.
Protection is afforded to gray whales and, in fact, all marine mammals by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The round trip distance of the annual gray whale migration is _____ to _____ miles.
The round trip distance of the annual gray whale migration is 10,000 to 14,000 miles.
What are the two major predators of gray whales?
1) Humans
2) Orca
Human threats to gray whales include _____, _____ _____, and _____ ______ _____.
Human threats to gray whales include Entanglement, Ship Strikes, and Degradation of Habitat.
What is the preferred name for the gray whale found along the California coast.
The Pacific gray whale.
What are two purposes of blubber?
Blubber serves as insulation and as an energy reserve.
How thick is the blubber of a healthy gray whale?
A healthy gray whale’s blubber is 6 to 10 inches thick.
The primary diet of gray whales is made up of _____ _____.
The primary diet of gray whales is made up of gammarid amphipods.
Gray whales are believed to be the only Mysticetes to feed mainly on creatures found here.
Gray whales feed on Benthic or Bottom organisims.
In what two seas are gray whales commonly found feeding on benthic organisms during the summer?
The Chukchi and Bering seas.
What prey found in kelp beds do gray whales sometimes feed upon?
(hint: not gammarid amphipods)
Gray whales will feed on _mysid _ shrimp.
True or False
Gray whales are known to echolocate.
FALSE
Gray whales have acute hearing, but do not echolocate like the Odontocetes
Name the behavior of a whale sticking its head straight up out of the water, sometimes as far as the eye.
Spyhopping
What is it called when a whale propels most of its body rapidly out of the water?
Breaching
What are two theories as to why whales breach?
1) Navigation
2) Communication
( I think they do it because it’s fun! )
When a whale lifts its entire tail out of the water it is called _____.
Fluking often occurs prior to a dive.
These flat “pancake-like” spots on the water are caused by the upward movement of the flukes near the surface of the water.
Flukeprints can be used to find and track whales. They can last from several seconds to several minutes on the surface of the water.
What color is gray whale baleen?
Gray whale baleen is ivory colored
How long is gray whale baleen?
Gray whale baleen is roughly 15 inches in length.
How many baleen plates do gray whales have on each side?
There are 130 to 180 plates of baleen on each side of a gray whale’s mouth.
