Title: Narwhal Tusk Facts: Did You Know? | Arctic Kingdom
Headings: Narwhal Tusk Facts: Did You Know
Narwhal Tusk Facts: Did You Know
Profile: The Narwhal
Narwhal Tusks: Did You Know?
Why Do They Have Them?
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Content: Did you know that a narwhal tusk is actually a tooth? In fact, the scientific name is Monodon Monoceros which comes from the Greek meaning, “one-tooth one-horn.” The tusk is a canine tooth that protrudes through the lip and continuously grows throughout their lives reaching up to 10 ft / 3.5 m.
The narwhal tooth is the only straight tusk in the world, all other tusks are known to curve. While the tusk doesn’t curve, but it does form a spiral. It will always be a left-turning helix spiral. Even when a second tusk grows, both tusks spiral to the left. All narwhals have two canine teeth that can grow into their tusk, but generally, it’s the upper left tooth that grows. The tusk grows in most males and only about 15% of females. And about one in 500 males grow two tusks, and only one female has been recorded with two tusks. Why Do They Have Them?