Mission : Endangered Species
|
Mission : Endangered Species
|
|
|
Killer Whales
Orcinus Orca
Fact File Common Name : Killer Whale / OrcaScientific Name : Orcinus Orca Type : Toothed Whale Color : Black and White pattern Size : Up to 30 feet long Weight : Up to 10 tons Number in world : Not Known
The Killer Whale is also known as the Orca Whale. The Killer Whale is named "killer" because it is a powerful hunter. The whale has teeth. It has black and white patches patterned across its body. Killer whales live in pods of 10 to 20 whales. The group is related females and their daughters . Resident pods feed mostly on fish, such as salmon, and salmon eggs. Transient, or traveling, pods hunt marine mammals, such as seals and porpoises. Killer whales are huge. Males can grow to be 32 feet and the smaller females can reach 28 feet. A male’s dorsal fin can be 5 ½ feet high and the female’s fin 3 feet. Males weigh 9 tons and the females weigh 4.5 tons. A birth a baby killer whale is 7 feet long and weighs 300 pounds. Females normally have one baby at a time. The mother and baby stay close together. The young drink their mother’s milk. Killer whales breathe air, so the mother must teach the baby to breathe. Killer Whales "talk" to each other by using echolation. These sounds sound like clicks. If orcas get lost from a group they "talk" to another orca to keep in touch. Killer Whales are hunted for zoo and aquarium exhibits. They are also killed by people. They are also endangered by ocean pollution, and loss of breeding and hunting grounds.
|
