my cousin and i are fighting about this so plz tell me are killer whales sharks or not so i can prove him wrong!
2007-06-20 15:37:35 · 14 answers · asked by Maigan 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
No they are not sharks.
They are toothed whales, Orcinus orca. They are the largest member of the dolphin family Delphinidae.
2007-06-20 15:41:13 · answer #1 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
No killer whales aren't sharks
or else they would be called killer sharks.
Killer whales may kind of look like sharks to a person that doesn't know alot about these creatures but of course they are whales.
They have shark like features such as such as teeth and of course the thing that would make it mistakeable is its color pattern especially around the eyes . It tends to create a sense of fear if you didn't know this creature was gentle.
These "toothed whales" have teeth because they are predators. Just like the great white shark they hunt down seals and eat them for supper.
Great whites and orcas hunt similarly yet distinctly.
Like a shark the whales throw the seals into the air
but unlike a shark they tend to play with their food and seem to be fairly smart animals.
Also unlike sharks they hunt in packs , like wolves would do.
Killer whales got their name because not only do they at times brutally kill seals but they also go after great whites not to eat them but they tend to kill them at times
If you want to know anything else about the killer whale follow this link;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Mammal_prey
2007-06-20 16:12:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Killer Whales are NOT sharks...in fact they are a large species of dolphin.
2007-06-22 12:50:14 · answer #3 · answered by Lori 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, they are not sharks. Sharks are FISH which means they breath water through gills and most are cold blooded (although some pelagic species are more warm blooded like the great white). Whales are mammals which means they breath air and must return to the surface to do so and they are warm blooded. And because they are mammals, this means they have mammary glands with which they feed their young - orca mothers produce milk for their young. Sharks (nor any other type of animal) can do this.
2007-06-21 03:40:59 · answer #4 · answered by SC 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Killer whales (orcinus orca) are mammals, not fish. This would automatically disqualify them as being classified as sharks, since sharks belong in the fish family.
Killer whales are mammals because:
1 - they breathe air
2 - they are homeothermic (warm-blooded)
3 - they give live birth
4 - they nurse their young
5 - they had hair at some point in their life (at birth, they have hairs on their rostrums, but are quickly lost due to the water resistance they feel while swimming)
Killer whales are NOT fish!
2007-06-20 17:34:54 · answer #5 · answered by icehoundxx 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Killer whales (orcas) are actually in the dolphin family.
2007-06-20 19:09:04 · answer #6 · answered by ewema 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No, hense the name Killer WHALE.
Alhough the hunting and beavioural instincts are shark like
2007-06-20 17:56:03 · answer #7 · answered by Chickie33 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Gosh - so many knowledgeable people here today, and so rude about it - so tell me, bright boys and girls; what is a Glass Snake? A snake, like the name? Oops, no! It's a lizard! How about a Water Scorpion? Scorpion, you say, because of the name (well, duh!) Oops again - it's an insect! Gosh - maybe you _can't_ always tell from the name what something is. Who'd have thunk it?!
2007-06-20 16:09:00 · answer #8 · answered by John R 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Are you serious...
Wow, how stupid people are these days really amazes me. If it was a shark it would be called a Killer Shark. Duh, ALL SHARKS ARE KILLLER. It's a freaking whale..
2007-06-20 15:59:42 · answer #9 · answered by XD 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
hello. killer WHALE.
2007-06-20 15:43:14 · answer #10 · answered by Georami 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋