How do blue whales use their teeth?

Believe it or not, some species of whale do in fact have teeth. All whales are actually broken down into two categories or suborders which are known as the toothed whale and baleen whale suborders. read more

Blue whales do not actually have teeth, except as small buds in the jaw as a fetus. These are re-absorbed well before birth. Instead there are growths of keratin (the stuff of hair and fingernails) hanging from the upper jaw called Baleen. The baleen of a blue whale is up to about 3 feet (0.91 meters) long. Unlike other whales, it is entirely black. read more

Some toothed whales use their teeth only to bite and grab their prey so that it can’t escape, but will end up swallowing their prey whole, while other toothed whale species appear to have little or no use for their teeth other than as a way to show dominance towards other whales, especially during mating periods. read more

Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth, measuring up to 100 feet long and weighing as much as 200 tons or more. In a single day, an adult blue whale can ingest as much as 4 tons of krill. Scientists estimate that between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales live in the world's oceans. read more