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White Whale By Andrey Nekrasov
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Male belugas are larger than females. Males can reach 5.5 metres (18 ft) long, while females grow to 4.1 metres (13 ft). Males weigh between 1,100 and 1,600 kilograms (2,400 and 3,500 lb) while females weigh between 700 and 1,200 kilograms (1,500 and 2,600 lb). This is larger than most dolphins, but is smaller than most other toothed whales.
The adult beluga is rarely mistaken for another species, because it is completely white or whitish-gray in color. Calves, however, are usually gray. Its head is unlike that of any other cetacean. Like most toothed whales it has a melon—an oily, fatty tissue lump found at the center of the forehead. The beluga's melon is extremely bulbous and even malleable. The beluga is able to change the shape of its head by blowing air around its sinuses. Unlike many dolphins and whales, the vertebrae in the neck are not fused together, allowing the animal to turn its head laterally. The rostrum has about 8 to 10 teeth on each side of the jaw and a total of 34 to 40 teeth.
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