Borrowed from here on David's Really Interesting Pages (and used with permission: thanks David). A sort of homage to this article from last month.
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Borrowed from here on David's Really Interesting Pages (and used with permission: thanks David). A sort of homage to this article from last month.
Darren, did you notice that this would now seem to be the shortest Tet Zoo blog post ever?
Red shorts and a yellow slicker? That's not proper whale-dissecting kit.
Off topic
The bowhead always looked to me like it rammed into an iceberg at top speed and crunched its face, like a cartoon dog that chased a parked car.
Darren, what did you think of the claim a bowhead lifespan could exceed 200 years?
With no connection other than being about a dead marine amniote: a leatherback carcass was found the other day on a beach in Sweden. It had entered the narrow Ãresund strait between southern Sweden and Denmark. Not sure of how notable it is, but I haven't heard of it happening before. Pictures below.
http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sverige/article1379886/Skoldpaddsfynd-pa-Skan…
Re #5
It has happened once before, at almost the same season and place. A dead leatherback was found in Skälderviken, northwesten Scania on January 22nd 1949.
Matt, the record is 211 years estimated for a male bowhead ( in fact, the longest record for a mammal) in a study by George et al. (1999) - Age and growth estimates of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) via aspartic acid racemization. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:571â580.