Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Phylum Chordata (vertebrates)
Class Mammalia (mammals)
Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales)
Family Balaenidae
Genus Eubalaena
The right whales are baleen
whales with a hairy head that is up to one-quarter of the body length. They have very small eyes and large lips. They grow to be about 50 feet and weigh about 12,000 pounds. The
females are slightly larger than males. They have black skin with white or brown patches.
Right whales are
filter feeding carnivores. Right whales only form long-term bonds between mother and calf. The number of right whales species is unknown. Most biologists believe there are two species. The right whale
gestation period is about 12 months and the calf is born tail first .
Northern right whales are near extinction due to past hunting pressures and are an
endangered species.There are approximately 4,000 Right Whales.