Narwhal’s 'Horn' Is a Tooth!

Hi! What looks like a long horn on a narwhal is not a horn at all — it is a very big tooth called a tusk.

1. It grows from the mouth. The tusk is actually one of the narwhal’s front teeth. Instead of staying inside the mouth like our teeth, it grows out through the lip and keeps getting longer.
2. It can be very long. A tusk can grow as long as about 10 feet (around 3 meters) — much longer than your arm and taller than some grown-ups!
3. Mostly boy narwhals have it. Many boy (male) narwhals have the long tusk. Some girl (female) narwhals can have one too, but it is more common on the boys.
4. It helps them feel the world. The tusk has tiny nerves inside, so it can help the narwhal sense things in the water like temperature, salt, and movement. Narwhals might also use it to show off, say hello, or figure out who is boss.

Fun little activity: Hold a pencil straight out and pretend you are a narwhal. Swim slowly, and imagine you can taste the water with your pencil-tooth!

Quick facts: The tusk spirals like a candy cane, and even though it looks like a weapon, narwhals mostly use it to learn about the ocean and talk to other narwhals.

Would you like to draw a narwhal with a big tusk or make a paper tusk craft?