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Orca, killer whale - ORCINUS ORCA
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Orca": "Orca" is the Latin word for "whale," and as we see with the genus-species name, this is a "whale's whale!" But not exactly. As we see in the family name, this is really just a large dolphin. But Killer Dolphin sounds so silly.
Location: All seas. but most abundant in sub-Arctic and sub-Antarctic areas.
Habitat: Aquatic. Coastal waters over the continental shelf, more rarely in the open seas.
Description: The black and white color is distinctive. An easy way to identify this species is by the great length of the dorsal fin, which can reach 5 1/2 feet in adult males. The first three or four cervical vertebrae are fused. There are ten to twelve conical teeth on each side of each jaw. This dolphin can reach 30 feet long and weigh up to nine tons, with the females somewhat smaller.
Behavior: This whale usually lives in pods of two to eight individuals, but sometimes increasing to as many as 40. Isolated individuals are always males. It attacks any animal which might be considered prey, including penguins, seals. fishes, whales, and other species of dolphins. It is never threatened by predators and is quite unafraid of approaching ships. It can swim at speeds of up to 35 mph and makes huge leaps out of the water. Sometimes it will stay motionless in the water with its head above the surface to see what is going on.
Reproduction: The young are born in winter after a gestation believed to be about 16 months long.
Note: It is an intelligent creature and is easy to train, and not the threat to humans that the movie "Orca" depicted. "Free Willy" is a little more authentic.
Go to the Cetacea Page to learn more about the other whale-like animals.
Go to the Index to compare the various Dolphins found in America Zoo.
For those of you who insist that this is still a whale, go to the Index to compare the various Whales found in America Zoo.
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