Buckelwal vs

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Key Differences

• Buckelwal is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Archaea (Archaea)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Thermoproteota (Thermoproteota)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Nitrososphaeria (Nitrososphaeria)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Nitrososphaerales (Nitrososphaerales)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Nitrosopumilaceae
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Nitrosotalea
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Nitrosotalea devanaterra is a chemolithoautotrophic archaeon in the phylum Thaumarchaeota, notable for being the first confirmed ammonia-oxidizing archaeon that thrives under acidic conditions. It was isolated from acidic agricultural soil and plays a significant role in nitrogen cycling in low-pH environments where other nitrifying organisms cannot function. Its discovery expanded understanding of how the global nitrogen cycle operates in acidic ecosystems.