automoderated, emailconfirmed, Interface administrators, moderator
1,227
edits
Orca (Orcinus orca): Difference between revisions
no edit summary
mNo edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
Killer whale pods have eating habits comparable to the individual food cultures of different countries. Variation in diets across pods is very common, even when they live in the same habitat, as each pod learns a different set of hunting behaviors that dictate what prey they catch and eat<ref>[https://wildlifetrip.org/what-do-killer-whales-eat/ What Do Killer Whales Eat? Discover the Orca Diet] Wildlife Trip</ref>. | Killer whale pods have eating habits comparable to the individual food cultures of different countries. Variation in diets across pods is very common, even when they live in the same habitat, as each pod learns a different set of hunting behaviors that dictate what prey they catch and eat<ref>[https://wildlifetrip.org/what-do-killer-whales-eat/ What Do Killer Whales Eat? Discover the Orca Diet] Wildlife Trip</ref>. | ||
== Hunting == | |||
Orcas are precise and efficient hunters that use different strategies depending on their prey and region¹<ref name=":3">[https://wearesonar.org/2015/06/08/three-amazing-orca-hunting-strategies/ Three Amazing Orca Hunting Strategies] We Are Sonar</ref>. They feed on over 140 species, including great white sharks, which they rip open for their livers and hearts¹. They can flip the sharks over to induce a state of paralysis and make them easy to eat<ref name=":3" />. They can also come ashore to hunt seals and sea lion pups, hiding their dorsal fins and beaching themselves<ref name=":3" />. | |||
Some Antarctic orcas use the cunning tactic of regularly hunting in packs and making waves to wash seals off floating ice⁶. These hunting techniques are almost ritualistic and are passed down from generation to generation. | |||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 25: | Line 30: | ||
* [[List of deceased captive orcas]] | * [[List of deceased captive orcas]] | ||
* [[List of living captive orcas]] | * [[List of living captive orcas]] | ||
== External links == | |||
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TLg-YlDog0 Orca's Extraordinary Hunting Technique] BBC Earth - YouTube | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||