Hi there! Some friends and I were just watching Finding Nemo and for some
reason we asked the question if whales have tastebuds? Or even tongues for
that matter? Its a silly question, but also just a fun fact to know :)
Thanks!
Kristin
Kristin
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Whales do have tongues. Whales do have tastebuds, but they haven't been
well-studied. We do know from observations of dolphins in captive situations
or interacting with fishing boats, that there seems to be some preference
for certain types of fish...if they have the opportunity to be choosy. It
would be like if you are really hungry and someone puts something in front
of you that you don't like to eat, you would probably eat it rather than
starve. If you were in front of a buffet, however, you would pick and choose
your favorite things to eat. In all likelihood, you would pick something
fattening. For a dolphin or a whale who is not watching their figure, the
fattening stuff is the good stuff, because it has the highest energy content
to it (the most calories).
By the way, "Nemo" rocks!
Regards,
Dagmar Fertl
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