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sperm whale

File:Mother_and_baby_sperm_whale.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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sperm whale

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Also known as cachalot, Physeter macrocephalus, spermaceti whale

largest species of toothed whale

OverviewAI-generated

The sperm whale (*Physeter macrocephalus*) is a species of whale within the family Physeteridae, order Cetartiodactyla, and class Mammalia. Described by Linnaeus in 1758, the taxon is named after spermaceti, a substance it produces alongside ambergris. Its common names include Sperm Whale, Ballena Esperma, Cachalote, and chocolate whale. The species is diurnal, has a gestation period of 15 months, and primarily feeds on Teuthida.

The sperm whale inhabits marine environments and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. It is included in Appendix I of CITES. The lineage began about 4 million years ago. While its range includes Brazil and Bragança, records also note Chile Central. The taxon is the subject of 1,708 PubMed articles and 3,804 iNaturalist observations.

Synthesized by Vinony from 41 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, iNaturalist, WoRMS, Encyclopedia of Life, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

chocolate whale

Species

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassMammalia
  3. OrderCetartiodactyla
  4. FamilyPhyseteridae
Habitatmarine
Conservationvulnerable
Observations3,804

Chile Central

via

Research

1,708 papers

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Instance of
taxon
Subclass of
whale
Parent taxon
Physeter
Named after
spermaceti
Image
Mother and baby sperm whale.jpg
Show 15 more facts
taxon rank
species
IUCN conservation status
Vulnerable
taxon name
Physeter macrocephalus
Commons category
Physeter macrocephalus
Commons gallery
Physeter macrocephalus
gestation period
15
main food source
Teuthida
start time
3600000-00
CITES Appendix
Appendix I of CITES
taxon author citation
Linnaeus, 1758
diel cycle
diurnality
taxon range
Bragança
on focus list of Wikimedia project
Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
short name
P. macrocephalus
taxon common name
уљешура
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The sperm whale or cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale superfamily Physeteroidea, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.

The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to twenty years and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature, healthy sperm whale has no natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of orcas.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “sperm whale” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (14)

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