Orcas: Aggressive And Intelligent Predators

Orcas: Aggressive and intelligent predators

One of the most emblematic symbols of the ocean, orca is a charismatic species that probably has the largest geographical distribution of all species, after humans. Ocas live in all latitudes, in all oceans, from the Arctic Ocean to Antarctica. With its well -known high dorsal fin and its characteristic black and white pattern, coastal peoples have known orca for thousands of years and is one of the most recognizable species today.

Aggressive predator

The OCCAS receive their nickname of "Killer Whales" for their reputation for being fierce predators, who exhibit almost hateful behaviors when they play with their prey. Interestingly, however, the orcs are actually very large dolphins, reaching lengths of 33 feet (10 m) and pesos of at least 10 metric tons (22,000 pounds). It is believed that the orcs and other dolphins are some of the most intelligent animals on the planet, challenging the great apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) for the first position. They are also extremely curious and often approach people to investigate. It is likely that your intelligence is both the result and a driver of its complex social structures. They usually live in small groups and organize complex group behaviors when they look away and hunt. They are intelligent, playful, powerful animals: a worrying combination if you are their favorite prey. The different populations of Orcas specialize in different types of dams, including large bone fish; seals, marine lions and other large marine mammals; and penguins; among other things.

It is known that individual orcas reach the ages of 100 years. Like all mammals, orcs are reproduced by internal fertilization and females give birth to live young. Young people can swim from the moment they are born, but they depend totally on breastfeeding for one or two years.

Habitat

Although all orcs, worldwide, are considered members of the same species, there are several known populations that have slightly different appearances, sizes and behaviors. These include populations that are some territorial and do not migrate long distances (the so -called resident populations) and those that are of a more migratory nature (the so -called transient populations). In addition, some transient populations remain close to the coast and overlap with resident populations, while others are oceanic. Some Orcas scientists believe that these populations can represent different species, and recent research suggests that there may be up to 16 different species. To date, the new species has not yet been described, and the cosmopolitan species Orcinus Orcase considers that it covers all people around the world, regardless of their behavior or appearance.

Although they are powerful hunters and it is known that they exhibit a somewhat tortuous behavior towards the great sharks and other marine mammals, it has never been known that orcs attack humans in nature. This is a somewhat disconcerting lack of aggressive behavior, since people would be extremely easy for this species. In captivity, however, male orcs have killed several coaches in recent decades. These great marine predators are not destined to be maintained in small tanks in captivity, and eventually seem to break and exhibit aggressive behaviors towards their manipulators. 

Protection

In the United States and in some other places, this species enjoys complete legal protection because it is a very intelligent marine mammal. Its global distribution and confusing relationships between populations / possible new species described above contribute to scientists not to believe that they have enough data to determine the state of conservation of the orca. More studies and continuous monitoring are needed to understand the possible risks facing this species.