Nature & Environment
Rare Saber Tooth Whale Beached Ashore at Venice Beach
Benita Matilda
First Posted: Oct 17, 2013 08:46 AM EDT
A rare whale with a dolphin-shaped head and saber-like teeth was found dead at the Los Angeles' Venice Beach.
The massive 15-foot female Stejneger's beaked whale also known as the Saber-toothed whale was found on Tuesday night. The mammal was taken to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, where experts will conduct an autopsy to try and solve the mystery behind the whale's death, LA Times reports.
Stejneger's beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) are incredibly rare and difficult to spot in the wild. They are generally found in the deep subarctic waters. Their diet comprises of small deep-water fish and cephalopods such as squids. The defining feature of these whales is the tusk-like teeth protruding from the lower jaws of the males. Females and juvenile whales have teeth beneath the gum tissue, Associated Press reports.
The whale is named Leonhard Stejneger, who discovered the species in 1885.The newly discovered carcass provides an opportunity for scientists to learn more about these elusive creatures.
"This is the best," Nick Fash, an education specialist for Heal the Bay, according to the Los Angeles Times. "[Previous finds] aren't anything like this. This is a treat."
He added that the carcass of whale was covered with cookie cutter shark bites and was probably alive when it beached.
The team is trying to find out how a subarctic creature reached the Venice Beach.
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First Posted: Oct 17, 2013 08:46 AM EDT
A rare whale with a dolphin-shaped head and saber-like teeth was found dead at the Los Angeles' Venice Beach.
The massive 15-foot female Stejneger's beaked whale also known as the Saber-toothed whale was found on Tuesday night. The mammal was taken to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, where experts will conduct an autopsy to try and solve the mystery behind the whale's death, LA Times reports.
Stejneger's beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) are incredibly rare and difficult to spot in the wild. They are generally found in the deep subarctic waters. Their diet comprises of small deep-water fish and cephalopods such as squids. The defining feature of these whales is the tusk-like teeth protruding from the lower jaws of the males. Females and juvenile whales have teeth beneath the gum tissue, Associated Press reports.
The whale is named Leonhard Stejneger, who discovered the species in 1885.The newly discovered carcass provides an opportunity for scientists to learn more about these elusive creatures.
"This is the best," Nick Fash, an education specialist for Heal the Bay, according to the Los Angeles Times. "[Previous finds] aren't anything like this. This is a treat."
He added that the carcass of whale was covered with cookie cutter shark bites and was probably alive when it beached.
The team is trying to find out how a subarctic creature reached the Venice Beach.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone