Orca map Orcinus orca Data deficient
Where the orca lives: an interactive map of recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 6,365 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 2° grid cells and clipped to the sea. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Orcinus orca |
|---|---|
| Status | Data deficient (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 1 |
| Records used | 6,365 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Whales & dolphins |
Interesting facts
- The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. [source]
- Orcinus orca is the only extant species recognized in the genus Orcinus and one of many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. [source]
- Because females can reach age 90, as many as six generations may travel together. [source]
- Captives have vastly reduced life expectancies, on average only living into their 20s. [source]
About the orca
The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Orca (revision 1375859940), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q26843 (CC0).
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