Nick X's page of KILLER WHALES!

Kingdom Animalia (animals)

Phylum Chordata (vertebrates)

Class Mammalia (mammals)

Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)

Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales)

Family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins)

Genus Orcinus

Species orca                                         

  "Classification" February 10:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Orca.shtml

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Killer whales are mostly black with white spots. Killer whales have rounded heads, their only enemies are humans. They have a blow-hole on the top of their head. They are sometimes called "wolf of the sea", because its' behavior if similair to wolves. 

february 17:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Orca.shtml

SIZE:  Killer whales can grow up to 24-33 feet long. Males wieghup to 8,000-12,000 pounds.Females weigh about 3,000 to 8,000 pounds. They can weight up to 6 tons. They usually have ten to fourteen teeth. Killler whale's teeth are 7.6cm[3in.] to 2.5cm[in.] in diameter. Killer whales are as big as a transportation bus. Males are larger then females. Killer whales are the largest of the dolphin family.

DIET:  Killer whales are carnivores. Killer whales eat fish, seals, penguins, sea turtles, otters, sharks, penguin, sea lions squids, and other whales.They also attack blue whales, but in pods because one can't do the job. Killer whales hunt in pods so that the victim doesn't escape.

HABITATS : Killer whales usually are near Oregon, Baja California, California, and Washington. They are also located between the South Pole and North Pole. They can also be in the Arctic, where it's cold, they like the cold. They are mostly near Antarctica.

MIGRATION: Killer whales don’t migrate. Some killer whales live and play/work at marinas such as mariean world, and six flags, and other mariean resorts. The wild Killer whales live from the North Pole, South Pole, Indain Ocean through the Atlantic. They travel according to the food available in the area. If there isn’t enough food they go to another place to find food. 

 February.15:http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/images/KillerWhaleRangeMap-xsm.gif 

REPRODUCTION: Males are sexually mature when they are 10-13 years old. Females are sexually mature when they are 6-10 years old. A female pregnancies is about 16-17 months(the tail is out first).  A Killer whale's maximum age is about 35 years Killer whales are mammals. A calve is nurses for 12 months. A calve is born about eight feet long and 300-400 pounds. A female killer whale can have another calf after five years (according to scientists). 

COMMUNICATION:Killer whale's scientific name is orac. Killer whale's family are the dolphins.  Killer whales communicate but not by talking like humans do. One way they communicate is by "lob-tailing". Lob-tailing is when a killer whale slaps their tail flukes against water. There are also many other ways killer whales communicate by such as jumps, breeches, and pec-slapping. The hole on the top of it's head is how they also make all kind of noises such as clicks, groans, grunts, and squeaks.

 February. 18:http://www.maniacworld.com/killer-whale.jpg                  

         February18:http://www.taisha.org/test/jryd/photo/2008F05F27816836285.jpg

  February. 19:Here's a link to go to Humpback Whales, by DeenaE.