Melon-headed whale: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the melon-headed whale lives – recorded in 18 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Peponocephala electra
Group	Whales & dolphins
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	18 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Class	Mammal
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Delphinidae

Where does the melon-headed whale live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the melon-headed whale in 18 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Brazil, Araioses.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the melon-headed whale endangered?

The melon-headed whale’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the melon-headed whale?

The melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Delphinidae, genus Peponocephala. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the melon-headed whale

The melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra), also known less commonly as the electra dolphin, little killer whale, or many-toothed blackfish, is a toothed whale of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). The common name is derived from the head shape. Melon-headed whales are widely distributed throughout deep tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, but they are rarely encountered at sea. They are found near shore mostly around oceanic islands, such as Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Philippines.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Melon-headed whale (revision 1357211857), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q724349 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).