Subject: Beluga natural history
Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar_Fertl@mms.gov)
Mon, 28 Dec 1998 10:51:28 -0500
Subject: progect
Author: ABELSF99@aol.com at ~smtp
Date: 12/26/98 2:45 AM
Hi, I'm doing a research paper about the white whale (beluga) and I
need some information about it (geographical distribution, habitat &
ecological, reproduction, growth, natural enemies, diet & feeding
habits). Can you please send me that information.
Thank you.
______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Hi, and thanks for waiting for the answer to your beluga question.
Probably the best book for you to start with would be Tony Martin's
book on Belugas (white whales) published by Voyageur Press. It is
available thru Amazon.com, as well as good bookstores, and is a nice
recently published and accurate book. Another useful book is the
Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins by S. Leatherwood and R.R.
Reeves (1982).
Belugas are found only in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
They are widely distributed throughout the arctic and subarctic
regions, mostly in shallow coastal waters. Most adult belugas are
less than 5.5 m (males) or 4.1m (females), and large animals may weigh
up to 1,600 kg. Calves average about 1.6 m at birth. Belugas feed on
various species of fish, a wide vareity of mollusks and benthic
invertebrates - belugas are thought to feed mostly on or near the
bottom.
As far as the other general questions you ask, I wouldn't want to take
all the excitement out of finding many of the answers yourself, since
this is a research paper you're working on. I would suggest besides
looking at the above listed books (which do answer all of your
questions) that you also go back thru the WhaleNet website itself and
look under the bibliography page as well as species pages.
Good luck!
Dagmar