Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The narwhal puts a curious spin on what it means to be classified as a “toothed whale.” The males’ left canine grows out in a long counterclockwise spiral, straight through its face. This tusk is a giant, inside-out, bendy tooth that feels everything and almost exclusively grows in males. But what is it for?
Find out more about narwhals here: narwhal.org
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#BizarreBeasts #narwhal
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Sources:
clevelandart.org/articles/hunting-unicorn-horn-narwhal-tusks-medieval-monsters
narwhal.org/inuit-wisdom-the-narwhal
ifaw.org/animals/narwhals
archive.org/details/walkersmarinemam0000nowa/page/134/mode/2up
narwhal.org/narwhal-facts
adventurecanada.com/canadian-high-arctic-and-greenland/narwhals-mysterious-tusked-whales-of-the-arctic
web.archive.org/web/20130710194915/http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Science/publications/uww-msm/pdf/narwhal-narval-eng.pdf
https://www.si.edu/stories/understanding-narwhals-smile
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Monodon_monoceros
https://nammco.no/narwhal/#1475762140594-0925dd6e-f6cc
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00439.x
narwhal.org/narwhal-insights/ole-qvist-uummannaq
https://repository.si.edu/items/b884b7a5-a9e2-488b-9562-51f6a270eb5b
books.google.com/books/about/Handbook_of_Marine_Mammals_River_dolphin.html?id=q7LwAAAAMAAJ
archive.org/details/walkersmarinemam0000nowa/page/136/mode/2up
narwhal.org/about-dr-nweeia
https://www.si.edu/stories/meet-worlds-weirdest-whale
annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-animal-021122-112307
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AiMaAAAAYAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA213&ots=PWIWaRrQg6&sig=LdBg67X4T6mtuSkQis3lEx5Aevw#v=onepage&q&f=false
cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z78-079
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0162069
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12165
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0950
nationalpost.com/news/canada/drone-shot-video-may-have-just-solved-400-year-debate-over-what-narwhal-tusks-are-used-for
uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2017-05-15/video-captures-use-narwhals-singular-tusk
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.22886
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790399907510?via%3Dihub
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2019.1645148
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Delphinapterus_leucas
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_3
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/strap-toothed-whale/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1993.tb00454.x
nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44038-0
marinemammalscience.org/facts/monodon-monoceros
------
Images:
docs.google.com/document/d/1iTzICQGAu_yKnsxbWNMXGlYJnk2DzGMhGrY8wJvH8yg/edit?tab=t.0
The narwhal puts a curious spin on what it means to be classified as a “toothed whale.” The males’ left canine grows out in a long counterclockwise spiral, straight through its face. This tusk is a giant, inside-out, bendy tooth that feels everything and almost exclusively grows in males. But what is it for?
Find out more about narwhals here: narwhal.org
Subscribe to the pin club here: https://complexly.store/products/bizarre-beasts-pin-subscription
This month's pin is designed by Dayle Kubluitok. You can find out more about them and their work here: instagram.com/notdayle
You can cancel any time by emailing hello@dftba.com
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: instagram.com/bizarrebeastsshow
Facebook: facebook.com/BizarreBeastsShow
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social
#BizarreBeasts #narwhal
-----
Sources:
clevelandart.org/articles/hunting-unicorn-horn-narwhal-tusks-medieval-monsters
narwhal.org/inuit-wisdom-the-narwhal
ifaw.org/animals/narwhals
archive.org/details/walkersmarinemam0000nowa/page/134/mode/2up
narwhal.org/narwhal-facts
adventurecanada.com/canadian-high-arctic-and-greenland/narwhals-mysterious-tusked-whales-of-the-arctic
web.archive.org/web/20130710194915/http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Science/publications/uww-msm/pdf/narwhal-narval-eng.pdf
https://www.si.edu/stories/understanding-narwhals-smile
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Monodon_monoceros
https://nammco.no/narwhal/#1475762140594-0925dd6e-f6cc
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00439.x
narwhal.org/narwhal-insights/ole-qvist-uummannaq
https://repository.si.edu/items/b884b7a5-a9e2-488b-9562-51f6a270eb5b
books.google.com/books/about/Handbook_of_Marine_Mammals_River_dolphin.html?id=q7LwAAAAMAAJ
archive.org/details/walkersmarinemam0000nowa/page/136/mode/2up
narwhal.org/about-dr-nweeia
https://www.si.edu/stories/meet-worlds-weirdest-whale
annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-animal-021122-112307
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AiMaAAAAYAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA213&ots=PWIWaRrQg6&sig=LdBg67X4T6mtuSkQis3lEx5Aevw#v=onepage&q&f=false
cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z78-079
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0162069
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12165
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0950
nationalpost.com/news/canada/drone-shot-video-may-have-just-solved-400-year-debate-over-what-narwhal-tusks-are-used-for
uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2017-05-15/video-captures-use-narwhals-singular-tusk
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.22886
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790399907510?via%3Dihub
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2019.1645148
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Delphinapterus_leucas
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_3
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/strap-toothed-whale/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1993.tb00454.x
nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44038-0
marinemammalscience.org/facts/monodon-monoceros
------
Images:
docs.google.com/document/d/1iTzICQGAu_yKnsxbWNMXGlYJnk2DzGMhGrY8wJvH8yg/edit?tab=t.0
