Whales are marine mammals and like all mammals (with the exception of a few species) they share many of the same traits with land mammals including bearing offspring (whales have a gestation period similar that is very similar to pregnancy in humans), being warm-blooded, having hair (some species are born with hair) and producing milk to feed their young.
Females may mate with several males during a single season and will typically produce a single offspring (twins are very rare) once every 1 - 5 years depending on the species.
Producing a single offspring over the course of several years ensures that the newborn will stand a better chance of survival and be given full attention during the first nurturing years of its life.
During the first 6 months to 2 years the mother will feed her young milk in order to nourish the baby and provide it with nutrients.
Shortly after birth the mother begins to feed her child milk from her nipple since the child is unable to hunt for its own food. This feeding will go on until the child is able to hunt for food and survive on its own.
In some cases a child may continue to suckle on the mothers nipple after they’ve started consuming solid foods, and even after the mother stops lactating.
For these children it may take longer to stop suckling due to their psychological dependency on their mother; in most cases this behavior stops by the age of 2, however in rare situations this may last even longer.
In terms of how long a baby whale may feed on its mother’s milk the length of nursing can vary greatly lasting anywhere from 6 months – 2 years depending on the whales species.
When the female whale lactates the thickness of the whales milk can vary greatly.
In fact a 35% – 50% fat concentration is common among many species of whale as the higher fat percentage allows the whales milk to travel through the water without breaking up.
The thick milk is often referred to as having a toothpaste like consistency.
This is very important because in order for the adult female whale to feed her baby she must either shoot the milk into her baby’s mouth through the water or allow the child to suckle the milk from her nipple.
If the fat consistency is too low than the mother’s milk would dissolve in the water making it difficult for the baby whale to feed and receive adequate nutrients.
The fatty milk also provides the baby with lot’s of nutrients and energy, which is required to help the baby grow into a healthy young adult.
In order to maximize the transfer of milk to the baby some children may use their tongue to create a tight seal around the mothers nipple.
A few species of whale (such as the blue whale) may drink in excess of 150 gallons of milk per day and can easily gain 100 pounds or more each day in its first few months of birth primarily from drinking its mother’s milk.
Baby whales are often able to consume anywhere from 2% to 10% of their weight in milk on a daily basis.
In addition to feeding their young with milk, mothers often develop very close relationships with their children.
Depending on the species these relationships may last anywhere from a few years to a lifetime.
In some tightly knit pods or groups females other than the mother may also care for the mother’s child by protecting the child and in some cases even feeding it, however this depends largely on the species and the pod.
Within a family group the male whales are referred to as bulls, females are called cows and the newborns are known as calves.
Females may mate with several males during a single season and will typically produce a single offspring (twins are very rare) once every 1 - 5 years depending on the species.
Producing a single offspring over the course of several years ensures that the newborn will stand a better chance of survival and be given full attention during the first nurturing years of its life.
During the first 6 months to 2 years the mother will feed her young milk in order to nourish the baby and provide it with nutrients.
Shortly after birth the mother begins to feed her child milk from her nipple since the child is unable to hunt for its own food. This feeding will go on until the child is able to hunt for food and survive on its own.
In some cases a child may continue to suckle on the mothers nipple after they’ve started consuming solid foods, and even after the mother stops lactating.
For these children it may take longer to stop suckling due to their psychological dependency on their mother; in most cases this behavior stops by the age of 2, however in rare situations this may last even longer.
In terms of how long a baby whale may feed on its mother’s milk the length of nursing can vary greatly lasting anywhere from 6 months – 2 years depending on the whales species.
When the female whale lactates the thickness of the whales milk can vary greatly.
In fact a 35% – 50% fat concentration is common among many species of whale as the higher fat percentage allows the whales milk to travel through the water without breaking up.
The thick milk is often referred to as having a toothpaste like consistency.
This is very important because in order for the adult female whale to feed her baby she must either shoot the milk into her baby’s mouth through the water or allow the child to suckle the milk from her nipple.
If the fat consistency is too low than the mother’s milk would dissolve in the water making it difficult for the baby whale to feed and receive adequate nutrients.
The fatty milk also provides the baby with lot’s of nutrients and energy, which is required to help the baby grow into a healthy young adult.
In order to maximize the transfer of milk to the baby some children may use their tongue to create a tight seal around the mothers nipple.
A few species of whale (such as the blue whale) may drink in excess of 150 gallons of milk per day and can easily gain 100 pounds or more each day in its first few months of birth primarily from drinking its mother’s milk.
Baby whales are often able to consume anywhere from 2% to 10% of their weight in milk on a daily basis.
In addition to feeding their young with milk, mothers often develop very close relationships with their children.
Depending on the species these relationships may last anywhere from a few years to a lifetime.
In some tightly knit pods or groups females other than the mother may also care for the mother’s child by protecting the child and in some cases even feeding it, however this depends largely on the species and the pod.
Within a family group the male whales are referred to as bulls, females are called cows and the newborns are known as calves.
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