| Humpback Whale | Killer Whale | |
|---|---|---|
| Skeleton Weight | 3,718 lbs | 70 lbs |
| Skull Weight Including Jaws | 1,322 lbs | 26 lbs |
| Number of Bones | 161 bones | 250 bones (including all epiphyseal plates/growth plates) |
| Feeding Apparatus | over 700 baleen plates | 48 teeth |
How many bones do whales have?
Ribs are not attached to the vertebrae; only the first pair connect to the sternum... Cetaceans have fewer bones than humans, mainly because they don’t have legs or feet. Including the individual bones that make up the skull, our sperm whale has 184 bones... Whales as we know them have existed for approximately 33 million years.
How many teeth does an orca have?
Lower Jaw The orca's lower jaw is made up of two large bones called mandibles. Each is filled with special sound-transmitting fat that allows underwater sound to be carried to the ear bones in the skull. HOPE's upper and lower jaws together hold a total of 46 teeth – 22 upper and 24 lower.
How many pelvic bones does an orca have?
The orca had 2 pelvic bones but only the bones on the right side of the orca's body were scanned. Therefore only the right pelvic bone is shown in the scanned image. The pelvis of mammals like humans, dogs and horses serves as a point of attachment for the legs and spine.
How many bones does an orcas wrist have?
This in turn connects to two bones, (radius and ulna) which correspond to the lower arm bones in humans. HOPE had only 3 wrist bones (carpals) but other orcas may have more or fewer carpals. These bones are vestigial (no longer needed) remnants of their evolutionary past. Attached to the carpals are 5 digits, corresponding to our five fingers.
Do orcas have bones?
Although killer whales have 50 to 54 vertebrae, no bones extend into the flukes. Without bones or even cartilage in the flukes, it is not unusual to see them curved, especially in larger males.
Does an orca have a back bone?
The spine is made up of 67 vertebrae that support large muscles allowing the orca to move.
How big is an orca skull?
They are the world's largest warm-blooded predator. Killer whales are black in color, with white chests and sides, and a white patch above their eyes. They typically range in size from 16 to 26 feet. Killer whale skull measures 860mm/33.9in.
What are 5 interesting facts about killer whales?
Remember these facts about orcas on your next Victoria whale watching trip!Orcas are actually dolphins. ... Orcas are very fast. ... Adult orcas are almost as big as a bus. ... Orcas live in every ocean of the world. ... Orcas are smart hunters. ... Orcas have a form of culture. ... Female orcas have a similar lifespan to humans.More items...•
How strong is an orca?
So far it has been impossible to measure the bite force of a killer whale with accuracy. However, based on captive killer whale incidents it's estimated that their bite force could exceed 19,000 PSI.
How thick is orca skin?
Orcas are 5-7 meters long in the case of females, and males can reach up to eight meters. In exceptional cases, adults can reach up to 9.8 meters, but this is not often. They range in weight from 3 to 6 tons. Part of this weight is due to its large amount of fat under the skin that can measure up to 10 cm thick.
What kills killer whales?
When it comes to predator/prey relationships, the killer whale is an apex predator and isn't known to have natural predators. That is except humans, parasites, and diseases, which can significantly affect a killer whale's health.
What is the bite force of an orca?
19,000 psiComparing Orcas and Great White SharksOrcaBite ForceUp to 19,000 psiTeeth40 to 56 teeth Up to 3 inches longEnduranceUp to 40 miles a day Top speeds only for short bursts Dive up to 3,500 feetSensesUse echolocation to locate prey Excellent eyesight No sense of smell3 more rows•Jun 27, 2022
What is the biggest orca ever recorded?
32 feetThe largest recorded male killer whale was 32 feet in length and weighed 22,000 pounds. The largest recorded female was 28 feet in length and weighed 16,500 pounds. Adult male killer whales are larger than females.
What are orcas afraid of?
Selbmann says that in the majority of the interactions documented around Iceland, killer whales seem to avoid pilot whales. Occasionally things will get heated and the pilot whales will chase the killer whales at high speeds, with both species porpoising out of the water.
Do orcas sleep with one eye open?
They only close one eye when they sleep; the left eye will be closed when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa.
Are orcas smarter than dolphins?
Dolphins are not smarter than orcas since orcas have a highly developed brain structure and the second-largest brain among animals. However, we must mention here that orcas belong to the dolphin family and display numerous characteristics similar to other dolphins, so their intelligence comes as no surprise.
Do orcas have a pelvic bone?
Both whales and dolphins have pelvic (hip) bones, evolutionary remnants from when their ancestors walked on land more than 40 million years ago. Common wisdom has long held that those bones are simply vestigial, slowly withering away like tailbones on humans.
How many bones does a whale have?
Cetaceans have fewer bones than humans, mainly because they don't have legs or feet. Including the individual bones that make up the skull, our sperm whale has 184 bones. The right whale has 177.
What is the bite force of an orca?
19,000 psiComparing Orcas and Great White SharksOrcaBite ForceUp to 19,000 psiTeeth40 to 56 teeth Up to 3 inches longEnduranceUp to 40 miles a day Top speeds only for short bursts Dive up to 3,500 feetSensesUse echolocation to locate prey Excellent eyesight No sense of smell3 more rows•Jun 27, 2022
Do orcas have eyes?
The eye is located just below and in front of the eyespot. Orcas have excellent eyesight in and out of the water. They also have a well-developed sense of hearing. And like other cetaceans, Orcas receive sound through receptors in their jawbones.
What are the bones in a whale's skeleton?
A whale's skeleton contains a skull, a spine and a rib cage, plus the bones that make up its flippers. The skeleton inside a whale's flipper looks like a version of a human hand; containing a shoulder, upper arm bone, lower arm bones, wrist bones and phalanges, or finger-type bones. Whales also contain several small bones floating down toward their ...
How many bones does a blue whale have?
Sperm whales contain 164 bones, while the blue whale, the largest animal on earth, has 356 bones.
What is the dorsal fin of an orca?
On females it’s a bit shorter and more curved. The dorsal fin acts like a keel, and each dorsal fin is unique for each Orca. The peduncle is the large muscular area between the dorsal fin and the flukes. The caudal peduncle is the part where the flukes meet the body.
What color is the orca?
The Orca is counter shaded: black on the top and mostly white on the bottom. Looking down from above, the black on the dorsal side mixes with the dark ocean. Looking up from below, the white on the ventral side blends into the sunlit water. Other animals may not recognize a Killer whale until it’s too late.
What is the name of the whale that is a killer whale?
Orcinis Orca. They’re commonly known as the Killer whale. But the Orca isn’t actually a whale: it’s in the dolphin family.#N#And while it shares a lot of the same characteristics of dolphins, the Orca has some unique features that are all its own, like its camouflage coloring. The Orca is counter shaded: black on the top and mostly white on the bottom. Looking down from above, the black on the dorsal side mixes with the dark ocean. Looking up from below, the white on the ventral side blends into the sunlit water. Other animals may not recognize a Killer whale until it’s too late.#N#Male Orcas have the largest dorsal fin of any marine mammal. It can get up to 6 feet tall. On females it’s a bit shorter and more curved. The dorsal fin acts like a keel, and each dorsal fin is unique for each Orca. The peduncle is the large muscular area between the dorsal fin and the flukes. The caudal peduncle is the part where the flukes meet the body. There aren’t any bones or cartilage in the dorsal fin and flukes. Instead, they’re made up of dense connective tissue. Longitudinal muscles in the back and caudal peduncle move the flukes up and down. The Orca’s pectoral fins are paddle-shaped. They’re used for steering and work in conjunction with the fluke for stopping. Inside these appendages is a network of veins that help regulate body temperature.#N#In between the dorsal fin and the peduncle is a grey swoosh known as the saddle patch. There are two types of saddle patches: open, which has more black in it: and closed, which has more white. The coloring varies depending on where the Orca lives. The eye is located just below and in front of the eyespot. Orcas have excellent eyesight in and out of the water. They also have a well-developed sense of hearing. And like other cetaceans, Orcas receive sound through receptors in their jawbones. The jawbone acts like a conduit, transmitting the sounds to the ear canal and auditory nerves.#N#Orcas also use echolocation. They create high frequency sound waves that are passed through the melon. The melon focuses these sounds and projects them into the water. The sound bounces off the objects and returns in the form of an echo. Just beneath the melon is the rostrum, and inside the rostrum are the Orca’s teeth. Orcas have anywhere form 40 to 56 interlocking teeth – each one around three inches long. They’re conical shaped and used for ripping and tearing, but not for chewing. Orcas eat their food in chunks or entirely whole.#N#Cetaceans are conscious breathers. They have to remember to take a breath every time they need air. Orcas breathe by opening the muscular flap of the blowhole. When closed, the blowhole is completely airtight. All of these parts working together make the Orca one ominous, awesome marine mammal.
