When you think of a mammal caring for its young, you can imagine a dog feeding its puppies, or a fox feeding its young. You can even imagine a little giraffe receiving milk from its mother. But have you ever imagined a baby whale feeding its mother in the ocean? Whales, like the animals mentioned above, are also mammals. And yes, the whale mother feeds her cub. This raises a basic practical question: How do whales drink milk underwater?
Keep reading to find out how a mother whale can feed her cub underwater. Also, find out how long whales feed their cubs, what special nutrients whale milk contains, and how big a newborn whale can be!
How do whales drink milk underwater?
Baby whales begin to breastfeed immediately after birth. A whale cub’s natural instincts, combined with scent, help it know where to nudge its mother when it’s hungry. The mother whale has so-called milk slits. These are folds of skin that protect the whale’s mother’s mammary glands or nipples. A baby whale nudges this area when it is ready to drink milk.
Instead of sucking milk from the mother’s lactating glands, the mother puts milk into her baby’s mouth. She can do this by contracting special muscles around her feeding glands.
Infants of other mammals, such as kittens and puppies, breastfeed by drawing milk through the mother’s nipples. The whale mother does the opposite. She puts milk in her baby’s mouth instead of taking milk out of it. This pushing action by the female whales allows the baby whale to feed underwater.
How does a whale cub avoid drinking water while feeding?
While breastfeeding underwater, you may wonder how a whale cub can swallow its milk without consuming a lot of seawater with it. The reason a baby whale can breastfeed without swallowing water has to do with its tongue. The baby can roll up its tongue to form a tube that matches the mother’s mammary gland or nipple. This unique fit prevents only milk from entering the whale’s mouth.
How long do whales breastfeed?
The answer to this question depends on the type of whale. A mother toothed whale can breastfeed a baby for one to three years.
In addition, the bowhead whale continues to breastfeed the baby for six to twelve months. A cub of a beluga whale is fed from its mother from 20 months to two years.
Some female whales only breed every two years, while others only every five years. This allows the whale mother to continue to breastfeed her baby for an extended period of time.
Why is breast milk so important to a baby whale?
Mother whale milk contains a lot of fat. In fact, some whale milk contains 35 to 50 percent fat. This high fat content is essential for the survival of the baby whale. Fat supplies the baby whale with the energy it needs to move continuously through the water with its mother.
Mother’s milk helps the baby to form a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which warms him in the cold ocean waters. In addition, milk is important for bone development and provides the baby whale with the nutrients it needs to maintain a healthy immune system.
When are baby whales weaned?
Again, the answer to this question depends on the type of whale. A baby humpback whale is weaned at about seven months. Begins to feed on small fish and other marine life. In addition, a young beluga whale begins to eat solid food between 12 and 18 months of age.
Keep in mind that although they may eat small sea creatures, most baby whales continue to breastfeed as well. The nutrients in mother’s milk, together with solid food, promote the rapid development of the baby whale.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many cubs does a mother whale give birth to at the same time?
The mother whale gives birth to one cub at a time. This makes sense because a whale mother is only able to feed one cub.
What is the gestation period for a whale?
A whale’s gestation period can range from 9 to 17 months. It all depends on the type of whale you are talking about.
For example, a sperm whale is about 590 days pregnant for a total of 19 months. Alternatively, the bowhead whale’s gestation period is 13 or 14 months.
What is in the milk of a whale mother?
The whale’s mother’s milk is loaded with nutritious fats and proteins. This milk allows the baby whale to gain hundreds of pounds every day and build up a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. This fat is absolutely essential for its survival.
A blue whale baby gains about 200 pounds a day by feeding on its mother’s milk.
Where does the mother whale swim when breastfeeding?
When a whale cub pushes its mother to let her know that it is hungry, the mother swims near the surface of the water. She does this so her baby can breastfeed and breathe above the surface when needed. Being a whale whale is a full-time job!
What is the name of a whale calf?
A whale cub is called a cub. The mother whale is known as the cow, and the male whale is the bull.
How big is a newborn whale calf?
As you might have guessed, baby whales of all kinds are large. Of course, some are larger than others.
It is not unusual for a newborn blue whale to be 23 feet tall and weigh between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds. Keep in mind that an adult blue whale is about 90 feet long and weighs 100,000 pounds or more.
On the other hand, a newborn beluga whale weighs 119 to 140 pounds and is about five feet long. In the world of whales, beluga whales are considered small.