Killer+or+Orca+whale

Animal: Animal Group: Description of animal group || killer or orca whale chordata whales travel in podswith many other killer whales || [] || [] || Observation Describe your animal (Colour, size, body parts) || Killer whales are distinctively marked with a black back, white chest and sides, and a white patch above and behind the eye. Calves are born with a yellowish or orange tint, which fades to white. Killer whales have a heavy and stocky body and a large dorsal fin with a dark grey "saddle patch" at the fin's rear. Antarctic killer whales may have pale grey to nearly white backs. Males typically range from 6-8 m long (19-26 ft) and weigh in excess of 6 tonnes.[17] Females are smaller, generally ranging from 5-7 m (16-23 ft) and weighing about 3 to 4 tons.[17] The largest male killer whale on record was 9.8 m (32 ft) and weighing over 10 tonnes (22,000 lb), while the largest female was 8.5 m (28 ft) and weighing 7.5 tonnes (16,500 lb).[18] Calves at birth weigh about 180 kg (350-500 lb) and are about 2.4 m long (6-8 ft).[19][20] The killer whale's large size and strength make it among the fastest marine mammals, often reaching speeds in excess of 56 km/h (35 mph). [] || [] || Describe how your animal behaves (moves, flies, runs) || Individual killer whales can be identified from a good photograph of the animal's dorsal fin and saddle patch, taken when it surfaces. Variations such as nicks, scratches, and tears on the dorsal fin and the pattern of white or grey in the saddle patch are sufficient to distinguish killer whales from each other. For the well-studied killer whales of the northeast Pacific, catalogues have been published with the photograph and name of each killer whale. Photo identification has enabled the local population of killer whales to be //counted// each year rather than //estimated// and has enabled great insight into killer whale lifecycles and social structures. __ [] __ || Where it lives || In addition to being found in colder water, killer whales also have been seen in warm water areas such as Hawaii, Australia, the Galapagos Islands, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Such sightings are infrequent, but they do demonstrate the killer whales' ability to venture into tropical waters. Even more surprising, killer whales have been seen in fresh water rivers around the world such as the Rhine, the Thames, and the Elbe. One even traveled some 177 km (110 mi.) up the Columbia River to eat fish. [] || [] || [] || What it eats How it eats || Killer whales prey on a diverse array of species. However, specific populations show a high degree of specialization on particular prey species. For example, some populations in the Norwegian and Greenland sea specialise in herring and follow that fish's migratory path to the Norwegian coast each autumn. Other populations in the area prey on seals. In field observations of the resident killer whales of the northeast Pacific, salmon accounted for 96% of animals' diet, with 65% of the salmon being the large, fatty Chinook.[4] They have been observed to swim through schools of the smaller salmon species without attacking any of them. Depletion of specific prey species in an area is therefore cause for concern for the local killer whale population, despite the high overall diversity of potential killer whale prey. [] || [] || [] || How does it have babies? How does it care for its babies? How long do they live || Gestation is about 17 months. Killer whale pregnancies at SeaWorld parks have ranged from 15.7 to 18 months. Calves are born throughout the year, with no statistical evidence for birth seasons. Specific regions may have peak birth months. For example, in the northeast Pacific Ocean, many calves are born between October and March. [] ||  || What does it do during the day and night? ||  || Much of what we know about killer whales comes from studying these whales. || How has it changed over time in Antarctica? || More than 50 million years ago, the Killer Whale likely was a land animal. That is a very different picture than the one we see today when we view this amazing creature that only lives in the water. It is believed the early ancestors had appendages and over time they developed into flippers that allow them to very easily manipulate the water where they spend their entire lives.This information in is based on the scientific information we have relating to their evolution as a species. Through the extraction of DNA, researches are able to break the Killer Whale into three categories. While in name they are lumped together, they have significant differences that result in that further breakdown. Many others have been categorized too but only as extinct forms of the Killer Whale. It is only these three that still remain. [] || Killer whales have been known to co-operate with humans in the hunting of whales. One well-known example was the [|killer whales of Eden, Australia]. [] || In the tales and beliefs of the [|Siberian Yupik] people, the [|wolf] and the killer whale were thought to be identical: killer whales were said to appear as wolves in winter, and wolves as killer whales in summer.[|[55]][|[56]][|[57]][|[58]] Killer whales were believed to help people in hunting on the sea: they were thought to assist the sea hunter in driving walrus.[|[59]] Thus, reverence was expressed in several forms: the boat represented the image of this animal, and a wooden representation of a killer whale also hung from the hunter's belt.[|[57]] Small [|sacrifices] could also be given to killer whales: tobacco was strewn into the sea for them.[|[59]] It was believed that the killer whale was a help to the hunters even if it was in the disguise of a wolf: this wolf was thought to force the reindeer to allow itself to be killed by the hunters.[|[58]] [] || Type in the content of your page here.
 * __**Classification**__
 * Source 1: || **The killer whale or orca (//Orcinus orca//), or less commonly, blackfish, is the largest species of the** **dolphin** **family. It is found in all the world's** **oceans****, from the frigid** **Arctic** **and** **Antarctic** **regions to warm, tropical seas. Some killer whale populations feed mostly on fish while others hunt** **sharks** **and** **marine mammals****, including** **sea lions****,** **seals****,** **walruses** **and even large** **whales**
 * Source 2: || There are up to five distinct killer whale types distinguished by geographical range, preferred prey items and physical appearance. Some of these may be separate races, subspecies or even species.[3] Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups, which are the most stable of any animal species.[4] The sophisticated social behavior, hunting techniques, and vocal behavior of killer whales have been described as manifestations of culture.[5]
 * __**Description**__
 * Source 1: || Unlike most dolphins, the pectoral fin of a killer whale is large and rounded—more of a paddle than other dolphin species. Males have significantly larger pectoral fins than females. At about 1.8 m (6 ft), the male's dorsal fin is more than twice the size of the female's and is more of a triangular shape—a tall, elongated isosceles triangle—whereas the dorsal fin of the female is shorter and generally more curved.
 * Source 2: || Adult male killer whales are very distinctive and are unlikely to be confused with any other sea creature. When seen from a distance in temperate waters, adult females and juveniles can be confused with various other species, for example, the false killer whale or Risso's dolphin.[] ||
 * **__Movement:__**
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 * **__Habitat:__**
 * Source 1: || Killer whales are found in the open ocean, but they seem to be most abundant in coastal waters.
 * Source 2: || Killer whales are much more abundant in the Arctic, the Antarctic, and areas of cold-water upwelling.
 * **__Feeding Habits:__**
 * Source 1: || The killer whale is an apex predator. They are sometimes called the wolves of the sea, because they hunt in pods like packs of wolves.[29] On average, a killer whale eats 227 kg (500 lb) of food each day
 * Source 2: || Although, unlike transient killer whales, resident killer whales have never been observed to eat other marine mammals, they are known to occasionally harass and kill porpoises and seals for no apparent reason.[4]
 * **__Breeding Habits:__**
 * Source 1: || .In the Pacific Northwest calving is thought to be bi-modally seasonal, with most births occurring in the spring and fall. In other areas of the world, researchers have seen calves born throughout the year with no statistical evidence for birth seasons. ||
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 * **__Activity:__**
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 * || We know less about transient whales in the same area, partly due to the fact that they are harder to observe because they are more evasive and less predictable. Offshore whales are even less studied, but they travel in larger groups of 30 to 60 individuals and are seldom seen in coastal waters. ||
 * || Regional groups of killer whales can be very different from one another in diet, appearance, dialect, and genetics. Experts use caution when generalizing about killer whales, knowing that the many regional stocks of killer whales that have not been as well studied may be quite different from the eastern North Pacific resident whales. ||  ||
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 * **Adaptations:**
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 * **Threats:** || Killer whales were targeted in commercial [|whaling] for the middle part of the twentieth century, once stocks of larger species had been depleted. Between 1954 and 1997, [|Japan] took 1,178 killer whales and [|Norway] took 987.[|[51]] Between 1979 and 1980, [|Soviet] whalers in the [|Antarctic] took 906 killer whales, prompting the [|International Whaling Commission] to recommend a ban on commercial hunting of the species pending further research.[|[51]] Today, no country carries out a substantial hunt. A small level of subsistence whaling is carried out by [|Indonesia] and [|Greenland].
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 * **Other Facts:** || The [|indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast] have featured the killer whale prominently in their culture through history, art, spirituality and religion.
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