What is the maximal age a Sperm whale reaches?
An adult Sperm whale (Physeter catodon) usually gets as old as 77 years.
Sperm whales are around 472 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 903.14 kg (1991.09 lbs) and measure 1 cm (0′ 1″). They are a member of the Physeteridae family (genus: Physeter). Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 12.18 meter (40′ 0″).
As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.
The sperm whale or cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to 20 years, and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of killer whales (orcas).Mature males average 16 metres (52 ft) in length but some may reach 20.7 metres (68 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal’s length. Plunging to 2,250 metres (7,382 ft), it is the third deepest diving mammal, exceeded only by the Southern elephant seal and Cuvier’s beaked whale. The sperm whale uses echolocation and vocalization as loud as 230 decibels (re 1 µPa m) underwater. It has the largest brain on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human’s. Sperm whales can live 70 years or more.Spermaceti (sperm oil), from which the whale derives its name, was a prime target of the whaling industry, and was sought after for use in oil lamps, lubricants, and candles. Ambergris, a solid waxy waste product sometimes present in its digestive system, is still highly valued as a fixative in perfumes, among other uses. Beachcombers look out for ambergris as flotsam. Sperm whaling was a major industry in the 19th century, depicted in the novel Moby-Dick. The species is protected by the International Whaling Commission moratorium, and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Animals of the same family as a Sperm whale
Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Physeteridae):
- Pygmy sperm whale becoming 17 years old
- Dwarf sperm whale with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Dwarf sperm whale with 1 babies per pregnancy
Animals that reach the same age as Sperm whale
With an average age of 77 years, Sperm whale are in good companionship of the following animals:
- Dugong usually reaching 70 years
- Gray whale usually reaching 77 years
- Berardius usually reaching 71 years
- Bryde’s whale usually reaching 72 years
- African bush elephant usually reaching 80 years
- Short-finned pilot whale usually reaching 63 years
- Asian elephant usually reaching 80 years
- Sei whale usually reaching 74 years
- Horse usually reaching 62 years
Animals as big as a Sperm whale
Those animals grow as big as a Sperm whale:
- Bryde’s whale with 13.85 meter (45′ 6″)
- Southern right whale with 14.15 meter (46′ 6″)
- Gray whale with 11.84 meter (38′ 11″)
- Humpback whale with 12.87 meter (42′ 3″)
- Bowhead whale with 12.2 meter (40′ 1″)
- North Atlantic right whale with 13.92 meter (45′ 9″)