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BuzzFeed Staff

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How Well Do You Know Narwhals?

The mystical nickname comes from the narwhal's tusk, which resembles a [unicorn horn](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/narwhal/).

Those tusks are actually [teeth](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/narwhal/), and narwhals have two! For males, one is an ivory tusk that comes out of his upper lip. Ladies can also grow them, but they’re a bit daintier in size.

Narwhals travel in [pods](http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06arctic/background/biology/media/pod.html). A [covey](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covey) is typically birds, a [cloud](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloud) usually insects, and a grumble is associated with pugs.

The prefix "Nar" means "corpse," and "hval" means "whale." "Corpse whale" is a reference to their skin color, which [resembles a drowned sailor](http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06arctic/background/biology/biology.html).

Though they're born blue-gray, narwhals [change hues](http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/unicorn-of-the-sea-narwhal-facts) as they get older. Juveniles are blue-black, adults are a marbled gray, and old narwhals are almost completely white.

A team of researchers found that [narwhal teeth are filled with a pulpy nerve tissue](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.22886/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false) that seems to be sensitive to its surroundings.

With their tusks growing up to nine feet, narwhals are majestically massive and about as big as a bus, according to _[National Geographic](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/narwhal/)_.

Narwhals are hunted for their tusks, but their skin is also an [rich source of vitamin C](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/narwhal/) in a traditional Arctic diet.

During winter, narwhals dive up to a mile up to 25 times a day! The pressure at those depths is intense at 2,200 pounds per square inch, according to the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration](http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06arctic/background/biology/biology.html). But narwhals can shut off oxygen or blood flow to noncritical body parts, and they have a conveniently compressible rib cage. Unlike dolphins, their muscles are built for endurance swimming, which helps conserve energy and, subsequently, oxygen consumption.

Because narwhals are so elusive, scientists haven’t been able to conduct much research about their mating habits — and that's lead to a lot of speculation about what those tusks are for, exactly. But a [study published in _Marine Mammal Science_](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12165/abstract) shows [male tusks can be linked to the size of their testes](http://www.buzzfeed.com/kasiagalazka/hey-ladies-theres-an-easy-way-to-gauge-narwhal-testicle-size#.oqwL6aJra), which is an indicator of fertility. So like peacocks, narwhals might rely on their appearance to attract a mate.

You're a budding aquatic unicorn, still learning your ways around the deep sea with your fellow narwhals. Everything whale be all right: The magic is within you, and you've reached your full narwhal potential.

You're an enchanting

Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here? Looks like someone wore their smartypants today. (Or should we say smartyfins?) Even though you didn't get everything right, next time you watch _Elf_, you'll be a narwhal whiz. Give a narwhal a high-one next time you see one — you've earned it!

You're a sea sorcerer!

It takes one to know one, and you're as mystical as they come. Whale done! You know your narwhals, and they wanted to pass along their thanks (having a tusk makes it a little hard to type). It sounded a little like: "OooOoo," which in narwhal means "You're fintastic!"

You're a magical unicorn!

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How Well Do You Know Narwhals?

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