Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)
Killer whales are social animals that live in stable family-related groups. Killer whales display a high level of care for their offspring. In addition to the mothers, various pod members (mainly adolescent females) perform most of the care for the calves. As with most mammals, killer whales are very protective of their young.
Different killer whale pods "sound" different. Each pod has their own dialect of sounds. They can easily recognize their own pod from several miles away based on the differences in calls.
Killer whales are often compared to wolves because both species are top predators, maintain complex social relationships, and hunt cooperatively.
To some, killer whales look exactly alike however they can be distinguished from one another by the shape and size of their dorsal fins, the distinctive grayish-white saddle patches behind their dorsal fins, as well as distinctive scars, nicks and marks on their dorsal fins.
Status: Vulnerable
Population: The worldwide population of orcas is unknown.
Threats: Recent studies have found that orcas are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Pollution and chemical contamination make orcas more susceptible to disease and likely cause reproductive difficulties.
Survival: Orcas live 30 to 50 years in the wild.
Scientists say killer whales may be the cause of the Some killer whales, like this one with a Steller sea decline of Steller sea lions in Alaska's Bering Sea and lion pup in its mouth, are predators of marine Aleutian Islands. mammals. But researchers found that most killer whales in the western Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands target only fish.
Wanna know more about Killer Whale (Orca)? Here we go.
