What is the State Marine mammal of Massachusetts?
The Right Whale is the State Marine mammal of Massachusetts. It is also known as The Whale; the black whale; the right whale; the great whale; the Greenland whale; the true whale. The Right Whale was titled as Massachusetts’s official state Marine mammal in 1980. Eubalaena glacialis is the scientific name of The Right Whale, which is found from Nova Scotia to the southeastern United States and migrate along the length of the east coast of the United States.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MASSACHUSETTS has designated the right whale as the official state marine mammal of Massachusetts on March 1980 vide the General Laws of Massachusetts, Part 1, Title 1, Chapter 2, Section 16.
The State Marine mammal of Massachusetts facts—
- Common name: The Whale; the black whale; the right whale; the great whale; the Greenland whale; the true whale.
- Scientific name: Eubalaena glacialis
- Length: The length of Right Whales can be in between 11 – 18 m (36 – 59 feet).
- Weight: The weight of Right Whales can be in between 60 – 80 tons.
- Color: Grey or black skin.
- Diet: The right whales largely eat zooplankton and tiny crustaceans such as copepods and krill. They may eat more than 2,600 pounds of zooplankton per day.
- Reproduction: Winter
- Gestation period: 12-14 months; females give birth every 3 to 6 years
- Lifespan: 60 – 70 years
Massachusetts’s state Marine mammal, the Right Whales have three species of Right Whale live in different locations: such as in the North Atlantic there around 300 Atlantic Northern Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) live. In the North Pacific, approximately 200 Pacific Northern Right Whales (Eubalaena japonica) live and about 7,500 Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) are extended all through the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere.
State Marine mammal of Massachusetts The right whale got its name for the reason that it was the “right” whale to hunt. They use underwater sounds to converse with other whales during the feeding time, roaming and when searching for a mating partner. Throughout reproduction, it is typical to find numerous males baying to one or two females in an effort to be the selected mating partner. The females give birth every 3 to 6 years after the gestation period of12-14 months; the Calves are 12 – 15 ft long and 1 – 1.5 ton of weight at the time of born. They drink the milk of their mother for 8 to 17 months. A healthy Right Whale may live for up to 70 years.
State Marine mammal of Massachusetts, The Right Whale is considered to be one of the largest living mammals alive. They reach maturity between the ages of 10 – 15 and a completely matured the Right Whale can grow up to 59 ft. They weigh as much as 70 tons. They have a fairly thick and round shaped body. The right whales’ gigantic heads and jaws contain hundreds of baleen “teeth.” They use a comb-like strainer of baleen plates and bristles to entangle tiny scraps of food as and when they swim.
Reference:
http://www.listenforwhales.org/
https://defenders.org/north-atlantic-right-whale/basic-facts
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.whale-world.com/right-whale/
http://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-mammal/massachusetts-marine.html