Book 6, Question 56
Why Do Some Whales Have Baleen Instead of Teeth?
Some whales have no teeth. Instead, they have baleen, a row of tough, fringed plates hanging from the upper jaw. A whale gulps in water full of tiny food, then pushes the water back out.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Baleen is made of keratin, a tough natural material.
- Scientists call baleen whales mysticetes and toothed whales odontocetes.
- Toothed whales eat fish, squid and even seals and sea lions.
- Grooves on the throat of some baleen whales stretch so they can scoop up giant mouthfuls of food and water.
- Scientists sampled baleen from 17 whales of six species to check for human-made chemicals in the ocean.
Questions kids ask
What do toothed whales eat?
Fish, squid and sometimes other sea mammals like seals and sea lions.