Killer whales distinctively bear a black back, white chest and sides, and a white patch above and behind the eye.

Given that captive killer whale teeth rarely or never touch the fish they are fed (thawed frozen fish are dropped directly into the open mouths of the animals and are rarely handled by the animals’ teeth in any way), this begs the question of how their teeth wear or break like this. [47], Individual killer whales can often be identified from the dorsal fin and saddle patch. 2011. Looking at photos of stranded killer whales, you actually see that a lot of them have the exact same tooth profile as our killer whales. As no vertical effort is involved, there is no risk of ejecting the pin. [5] Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of culture.[6]. Wild killer whales are not considered a threat to humans,[7] although there have been cases of captives killing or injuring their handlers at marine theme parks.

Bulletin So. “Truncatus” is a reference to worn teeth. Calves are born with a yellowish or orange tint, which fades to white. Zoo Biology 9: 325-330. Great white vs orca...without the orca's size advantage. There is even fossil evidence of worn teeth in pre-historic cetaceans. In its reply, SeaWorld is essentially claiming that captive killer whale dentition is “normal.” This is incorrect. If they are exploring things in their environment or they’re brushing against a more abrasive surface, like a wall, there may be some tooth wear as a result. There are several drilled out teeth, teeth worn to the gums, and broken teeth in these three photos. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. The front teeth are inclined slightly forward and outward, thus allowing the killer whale to withstand powerful jerking movements from its prey while the middle and back teeth hold it firmly in place.

Killer whale teeth in the wild generally do not suffer severe wear at the tip (and only very rarely exhibit breakage) and when they do, this wear occurs at the population level and is associated with prey type (e.g., in the northeastern Pacific offshore ecotype, severe tooth wear is associated with feeding on sharks; Ford et al. [49] Sexual dimorphism is also apparent in the skull; adult males have a longer lower jaw than females, and have a larger occipital crest. From trainer and visitor observations, captive killer whales break and wear their teeth because they persistently grind them on the concrete walls and metal gates of their enclosures out of boredom or neurosis.
Aquatic Biology 11: 213-224, Foote, A., Newton, J., Piertney, S.B., Willerslev, E. and Gilbert, M.T.P. Dental care for a captive killer whale (Orcinus orca). Generally mammal eaters show wear on the sides of the tooth more than on the tip (Caldwell and Brown 1964).

Killer whales feature strongly in the mythologies of indigenous cultures, with their reputation ranging from being the souls of humans to merciless killers. 2011) or feeding method (e.g., in Type 1 North Atlantics, severe tooth wear is associated with suction-feeding; Foote et al. and Brown, D.H. 1964.

In late 2005, the "southern resident" population of killer whales that inhabits British Columbia and Washington state waters were placed on the U.S.
SeaWorld's response consists of two major points: 1) that moderate wear occurs when the whales’ teeth “brush against” abrasive surfaces such as the walls (the suggestion is that this happens only occasionally and even inadvertently and is more than a slight touch but far less than a concentrated grinding); and 2) that “a lot” of stranded killer whales have poor dentition, which is the result of simple “manipulation” of objects in their environment. 2011). [47], Killer whale pectoral fins are large and rounded, resembling paddles. 2009.

It’s important to note that wild killer whales wear their teeth as well. Tooth wear as a correlate of described feeding behavior by the killer whale, with notes on a captive specimen.