The narwhal was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 publication Systema Naturae. The word "narwhal" comes from the Old Norse , meaning 'corpse-whale', which possibly refers to the animal's grey, mottled skin and its habit of remaining motionless when at the water's surface, a behaviour known as "logging" that usually happens in the summer. The scientific name, Monodon monoceros, is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning 'single-tooth single-horn'.
The narwhal was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 publication Systema Naturae. The word "narwhal" comes from the Old Norse , meaning 'corpse-whale', which possibly refers to the animal's grey, mottled skin and its habit of remaining motionless when at the water's surface, a behaviour known as "logging"? that usually happens in the summer. !The scientific name, Monodon mon,oceros is derived from Ancient Greek meaning 'single-tooth single-horn'.