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B. musculus is a member of the sub-Order Mysticeti, or baleen whales. So lucky for us, the largest animals in the world feed nearly exclusively on some of the smallest animals in the world, krill. A full-grown adult can eat up to 40 million krill in a day. Blue whales can travel at speeds up to 50 km/hour but typically they travel at the more modest speeds of 20km/hour. If that isn't enough reason to gloat, male blue whales have the largest penises in the animal kingdom, sizes reported from 8 to 10 feet long. However, they have a highly disproportionate brain to their massive..... bodies, weighing in at a whopping 15lbs, only 0.007% of their body weight. (Ladies, I know you're all thinking it... sounds like most men.)
Little is known about the mating behavior or breeding grounds, but scientists estimate they can live for up to 80 years, although the longest recorded study of an individual is 34 years. Orcas are the only natural predators of the blue whale, other than humans of course who greatly impacted their populations throughout history with whaling practices, which was banned in 1966. Today, the estimated world population of blue whales is between 5 and 12,000, the largest known concentration ranges from Alaska to Costa Rica.
#HappyMammalCrushing #mammalsarefreakingawesome
