Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Orcas are apex predators, meaning that they themselves have no natural predators. They are sometimes called "wolves of the sea", because they hunt in groups like wolf packs. [ 62 ] Orcas hunt varied prey including fish, cephalopods , mammals, seabirds , and sea turtles . [ 63 ]
The genus Orcinus was published by Leopold Fitzinger in 1860, [4] its type species is the orca named by Linnaeus in 1758 as Delphinus orca.Taxonomic arrangements of delphinids published by workers before and after Fitzinger, such as John Edward Gray as Orca in 1846 and Orca (Gladiator) in 1870, are recognized as synonyms of Orcinus.
Other predators are crocodiles, wolves and dogs, large raptors, and for small species and young animals, large snakes. For cetaceans, possible predators include sharks, polar bears, and other cetaceans; in the latter is the orca, the top predator of the oceans.
Female orcas start breeding at around 6-10 years old, males at 10-13 years. Breeding occurs all year round although it is most common in summer. The gestation period of an orca is about 17 months ...
The young sharks are typically 3 to 7 meters (10 to 23 feet) in length, making them more vulnerable to predators. While an orca versus whale shark matchup may seem like an epic battle, the orcas ...
“As smart, top predators, killer whales can rapidly learn new hunting techniques on their own or from others, so monitoring and understanding the behaviors used here and by other killer whales ...
Orcas or killer whales have a cosmopolitan distribution and several distinct populations or types have been documented or suggested. Three to five types of orcas may be distinct enough to be considered different races , [ 1 ] subspecies , or possibly even species [ 2 ] (see species problem ).
Articles relating to orcas (Orcinus orca, killer whales), toothed whales that are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. It is the only extant species in the genus Orcinus . Orcas are recognizable by their black-and-white patterned body.