Physical Characteristics Orcas have fusiform bodies, meaning that they are spindle-shaped. This allows them to glide through the water with very little resistance. The male and female orca are different in terms of their size, weight, and the shape of both their dorsal and pectoral fins. Males generally range from 22 to 27 feet in length, weighing between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds. Females generally range from 17 to 24 feet in length, weighing between 3,000 and 8,000 bounds. A male’s pectoral fins, dorsal fins, and flukes grow larger than a female’s grow, making it easy to distinguish the sexes of the species. Orcas are easily recognizable due to the coloration. While mostly black in coloration, the area behind the dorsal fin is tinted gray, …show more content…
4. What is this animal's main prey? There are two different diets depending on whether the orca in question is a residential orca or a transient orca. The staple prey of a residential orca is salmon, while the staple prey of a transient orca is sea lion. What got me interested in orcas originally was the video I saw where an orca nearly killed itself in an attempt to capture a sea lion pup, so that is the prey animal I am going to focus on in this report. 5. Write a report on this animal. Physical …show more content…
Female sea lions range from 5 to 6.5 feet in length, weighing between 110-240 pounds. Males are much larger than females. Sea lions have fusiform bodies, allowing them ease of movement through the water. While the color of sea lions vary, males are typically chocolate brown while females and young males are tan, and pups are dark chocolate brown. Males lighten as they age. The foreflippers of a sea lion are large and resemble wings, allowing the sea lion to swim. There is no hair on the foreflippers, and the foreflippers also lack claws. This allows the sea lion to use the foreflippers in a winglike motion to propel themselves through water. The hind flippers are used to steer while swimming, and, on land, the sea lion can rotate the hind flippers underneath the pelvis area which allows the animal to support its weight and walk on all fours (SeaWorld: California Sea Lions: Physical Characteristics). Habitat Sea lions can be found along the coast of the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. California sea lions breed on islands off the coast of California. Other breeds of sea lions can be found off the coasts of Ecuador and Columbia. They prefer rocky and sandy beaches of coastal islands as well as the shoreline of the mainland (SeaWorld: California Sea Lions: Habitat and Distribution). Predators and
The California sea lion is a pinniped. A pinniped is a carnivorous aquatic mammal of the order Pinnipedia. Sea lions, like all other pinnipeds, have nostrils that they can voluntarily close while diving in the water. Inside the nose of a sea lion are bones called turbinate bones. When the sea lion inhales, these bones moisten and warm the air and stop inhaled particles from going into the trachea or the lungs. In the back of the sea lion’s nose, there are ethmoidal turbinate bones which give it its keen sense of smell. The nasal septum of a sea lion separates the nasal cavity into left and right halves.
Monodon Monoceros, Latin for “one tooth, one horn”#; or Narhval, Norwegian for “corpse whale” , because of it mottled coloration suggests a bloated corpse#.Narwhals are in the white whale family, along with the beluga, but are actually covered with spots of black, white, gray-green, and cream. Newborns are dappled gray-brown, white spots come with age#. At birth the calves are about 5 feet long and 180 pounds. Male Narwhals can reach 16 feet long, not including the horn which is 8 to 9 feet long, and weigh around 3000 pounds. Females are around 13 ft. long, do not have tusks, and weight around 2000 pounds. Adult males and females are usually dark in the area of the head, especially top of the head and upper and lower jaws#. Unlike most other whales, Narwhals have no dorsal fin, instead they have a low bumpy ridge that begins at about the midpoint of the back and continues to the fluke#.
The condor will eat anything from the remains of a deer, to a large marine mammal like a whale. “California condors can soar on warm thermal updrafts for hours, reaching speeds of more than 55 miles per hour and altitudes of 15,000 feet with flights up to 150 miles. Condors hold their wings in a horizontal position and fly very steadily.” (Calvin & Rosanna Hamilton, 2005-2008) California condors mature and reproduce slowly.
The reason as to why their fins become this way is because they simply do not have enough space to be able to swim around and the diet they are fed is an unhealthy one.... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited "8 Reasons Orcas Don't Belong at SeaWorld" SeaWorld Of Hurt: Where Happiness Tanks. N.p., n.d. Web.
An orca, more commonly known as a killer whale, is currently one of the largest marine animals held in captivity. Countless arguments are being made, supporting and opposing captivity of orcas to be exploited as circus animals in theme parks around the world. Throughout recent history, Sea World trainers have been injured and killed by the orcas and the whales, and the whales themselves have been observed as severely depressed. If Sea World releases the whales, they would undergo an immense economic downfall and the whales would be too weak to survive in the wild if they were freed. Since the first Sea World park opened in San Diego, California in 1964, common questions have arose concerning the well-being of orcas in captivity, the dangers of humans training them, the physical capability of whales theoretically being released, and the psychological differences between whales living in the wild versus whales living in Sea World's confinement.
Sarai Michel English 9HP, Period 4 When I was six years old, my parents took me to SeaWorld for the first time. I remember clearly watching the Shamu show and sitting in the splash zone, ending up soaked in water by the end. But I also distinctly remember wondering how an animal so big and beautiful could ever be happy in such a small tank, so far away from home. The animals could never possibly experience the joy they would have out in the wild where they belonged.
Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows on average to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. It stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. The mane will vary in color and length; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. Females are smaller but equally muscular. Lions vary in color from golden to brown. The mane of a male lion will vary from black to yellow. Both sexes have retractable claws to keep them sharp when they are needed. Lions have wide powerful jaws. The lions roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 (5.6 miles) kilometers away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They were given the name “killer whale” by sailors who often observed them attacking and killing seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins, dolphins, polar bears and even other whales (Orcas).
Orca whales do not like to be taken from their family, held captive for many decades and put with other whales that they do not know. No other living organism on this planet would like to be put through the same thing. Orca whales are highly social animals, they are very intelligent, and are very emotional. If they are kept away from other whales, fed intermittently and received little attention from staff makes them get very emotional and can lead to death of people and the whales. Orca whales should not be held captive; they are beautiful creatures that are not great for people’s amusement and if they are treated poorly, they will act poorly.
These two types typically avoid each other at all costs. In the wild, orcas are predators, meaning they hunt down their food. The whole species has varied diets, depending on which region of the world they come from. “Resident whales feed on fish and squid. Transients feed on seals, sea lions, porpoises, and baleen whales” (Francis).
The physical characteristics of a gorilla are, the male may be from a height of 5.5 ft and a weight of about 400 lbs. The female can be as tall as 5 ft. and weight almost about half the weight of the male. Their skull is pretty much similar to ours, but their bones are thicker. The gorillas spin...
larger and heavier than the males. An average female (called a falcon) weighs a little over
... meat, blubber, bones and oil. Also, orcas hunt humpbacks in packs, especially when there is a newborn (Office of Protected Resources).