On the sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in collections of the National Museum in Prague (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)
Abstract
A complete skeleton of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) from an animal ca. 13-14 m long is here reported as a new acquisition to the collection of mammals of the National Museum in Prague. This large new specimen was transferred to Prague museum from the Zoological museum of Senckenberg Natural History Collection Dresden, Germany, where a space enough was not available in the collection depositary rooms for its storage (the skull was stored outdoors, the rest of the skeleton in a taxidermy workshop).
The skeleton originates from a stranded individual of the sperm whale discovered (along with two others) on the North Sea shore at Friedrichskoog (Holstein, Germany) on 15 January 2002. Selected measurements of the skull of this sperm whale are as follows: condylobasal length of skull 418 cm, orbital width of skull 196 cm, basal width of rostrum 144 cm, length of left mandible 374 cm, mandible height at the ramus mandibulae 58 cm.
An annotated review of museum specimens of the great whales (= baleen whales and the sperm whale) in collections in the Czech Republic and a detailed description of the sperm whale specimens in the National Museum are added