Blue whale  (Balaenoptera musculus)

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arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Glossary

Baleen: In some whales, the comb-like fibrous plates hanging from the upper jaw that are used to sieve food from sea water. These are often referred to as whalebone.
Subspecies: A population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

References

  1. IUCN Red List (January, 2009)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. WDCS. (2002) Pers. Comm.
  3. Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopaedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  4. WDCS (February, 2002)
    http://www.wdcs.org/dan/publishing.nsf/allweb/803E6F754FC6728380256966005087B7
  5. Animal Diversity Web (February, 2002)
    http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/
  6. Carwardine, M., Hoyt, E., Fordyce, R.E. and and Gill, P. (1998) Whales and Dolphins. Harper Collins Publishers, London.
  7. Animal Info (February, 2002)
    http://www.animalinfo.org/species/cetacean/balamusc.htm
  8. UNEP-WCMC database (October, 2002)
    http://quin.unep-wcmc.org/
  9. International Whaling Commission (June, 2007)
    http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm