Changes

The term whale refers to all [[Cetacean|Cetaceans]] that are not [[dolphin|dolphins]] or [[Porpoise|porpoises]] or more informally to only the very largest [[Cetacean|Cetaceans]]. Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, like the largest animal to ever live the [[Blue Whale]], others are relatively small like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet <ref>  [http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm]American Cetacean Society website</ref>.  Though whales have  many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are in fact [[mammal|mammals]] and accordingly breath air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable [[adaptation|adaptations]] including:

Whales are an order of marine mammals, the [[Cetacea|Cetaceans]].

 

Living whales are seperated into the toothed whales (which includes [[dolphin]]s, [[porpoise]]s, [[narwhal]]s, [[beaked whale]]s and [[sperm whale]]s) and the whalebone whales; those (mostly very large) cetaceans which have teeth replaced by baleen (whalebone) to filter small prey from the water, which are what people generally think of when the word whale is used. The whalebone whales include the rorquals - the [[blue whale]], fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, [[minke whale]], [[grey whale]]; and the various [[right whale]]s.

 

Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, such as the blue whale (the largest animal to ever live), others are relatively small like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet <ref>  [http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm]American Cetacean Society website</ref>.  Though whales have  many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are in fact [[mammal|mammals]] and accordingly breath air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable [[adaptation|adaptations]] including:

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously