It derives its common name from sharing some physical characteristics with the killer whale.It is the smallest species that has "whale" in its common name. The characteristics of false killer whale echolocation clicks have been described (e.g. We might see these two species a … The false killer whale is a large dolphin that can be found traveling in tropical waters. The killer whale (Orcinus orca ) is also a member of the family Delphinidae. 10 Amazing false killer whale facts. We … 1995, Madsen et al. They are highly social, … The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a large member of the family Delphinidae . Photo by Elisa Weiss. False killer whales are social animals found globally in all tropical and subtropical oceans and generally in deep offshore waters. False killer whales and killer whales share some physical traits and both hunt other marine mammals, but Whale Facts notes the two are not closely related. finned pilot whales. The false killer whale’s entire body is black or dark gray, although lighter areas may occur ventrally (on its underside) between the flippers or on the sides of the head. False killer whales are found in groups ranging from just a few individuals to hundreds of individuals. Pygmy sperm whale range Synonyms; Euphysetes breviceps. This includes the sperm whale, oceanic dolphins, usually pilot and killer whales, and a few beaked whale species. The most common species to strand in the United Kingdom is the harbour porpoise; the common dolphin (Delphinis delphis) is second most common, and after that pilot whales … They have been known to live over 65 years. A wholphin is an extremely rare cetacean hybrid born from a mating of a female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with a male false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens). False killer whales are large members of the dolphin family and a similarity to killer whales is the shape of their skull. The pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) is one of two extant species in the family Kogiidae in the sperm whale superfamily.They are not often sighted at sea, and most of what is known about them comes … False killer whales lifting their heads while surfacing. A bottlenosed dolphin surrounded by false killer whales (Credit: Richard Robinson 2017) Male false killer whales average 17.6 feet in length and 4,800 pounds while females average fifteen feet in length and 2,600 pounds. Pods consist of all ages and both sexes. The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) is a poorly known and rarely seen oceanic dolphin. Pygmy killer whale showing the white lips characteristic of this species. Zaeschmar taught local whale watchers to tell the difference between false killer whales and the similar looking pilot whale and used their sightings and historic sighting data to find a starting point for the search. False killer whales can grow up to six metres long and weigh over two tons. Photo by Jessica Aschettino. False killer whales are carnivores and readily eat a wide variety of prey including fish, squid, other dolphins, sperm whales and seals. For more information on pygmy killer whales see our web page for this species. False killer whales are much bigger and their size and unique flippers mean you can tell them apart, but only if you know what you are looking for. Pods consist of all ages and both sexes. Aside from the “killer whale” the false killer whale is one of the only known cetaceans to actively hunt and kill other marine mammals. On rare occasions we see false killer whales, of which the insular Hawaiian population is on the endangered species list, and short-finned pilot whales, which is a deeper… Although the species has been known to be extremely aggressive in captivity, this aggressive behavior has not been observed in the wild. This is why common names are sometimes deceptive. The pygmy killer whales (back left) were with a group of short-finned pilot whales. On rare occasions we see false killer whales, of which the insular Hawaiian population is on the endangered species list, and short-finned pilot whales, which is a deeper water species not commonly found in the shallower waters of our survey area. In these large groups they are sometimes separated into smaller groups or pods, which average about 18 members (typically 10 to 30). The website also said that, on rare occasions, false killer whales have mated with bottlenose dolphins , resulting in a hybrid known as a " wholphin ." On rare occasions we see false killer whales, of which the insular Hawaiian population is on the endangered species list, and short-finned pilot whales, which is a deeper water species not commonly found in the shallower waters of our survey area. What’s life like for a false killer whale? False killer whales often "strand" themselves in large numbers. Au et al. False killer whales often "strand" themselves in large numbers. August 20, 2011 update. Philip Hoare has studied whales for 17 years. Photo: Jochen Zaeschmar A stranding risk While false killer whale strandings are very rare, they can be as large as pilot whale strandings involving, at times, several hundred individuals (for example, 253 individuals in the Manukau Harbour in 1978). 2004, Ibsen et al. Killer whales are much larger than false killer whales. But nothing he has seen comes close to the bloody battle between a group of 25 killer whales who attacked a pod of sperm whales (pictured).