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Killer Whale Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of the Mammals of Europe

Part of the book series: Handbook of the Mammals of Europe ((HDBME))

Abstract

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of the mammalian biology, including paleontology, physiology, genetics, reproduction and development, ecology, habitat, diet, mortality, and behavior. The economic significance and management of mammals and future challenges for research and conservation are addressed as well. The chapter includes a distribution map, a photograph of the animal, and a list of key literature.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to sincerely thank the editors and an anonymous reviewer for very useful comments to improve this manuscript, as well as Dr. Andrew Foote for helpful discussions on the diversity of killer whales found in the North Atlantic and for providing very useful comments to this manuscript. We would also like to thank Lisa Steiner from Whale Watch Azores for kindly allowing the use of her photograph. FIPS was funded by the Icelandic Research Fund (grant number 163060) and the work in Iceland was funded by the Icelandic Research Fund and the generous support of the Earthwatch Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Iceland’s Institute of Research Centers, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

    Filipa I. P. Samarra

  2. Madeira Whale Museum, Caniçal, Madeira, Portugal

    Ruth Esteban

Authors
  1. Filipa I. P. Samarra
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  2. Ruth Esteban
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Correspondence to Filipa I. P. Samarra .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Managment, University of Natural Resources and Life, Wien, Austria

    Klaus Hackländer

  2. Säugetiersammlung, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Wien, Austria

    Frank E. Zachos

Section Editor information

  1. Ketos Ecology, Kingsbridge, Devon, United Kingdom

    Caroline Weir

  2. Sea Watch Foundation, Bangor, UK

    Peter Evans

  3. University of Iceland, Husavik, Iceland

    Marianne Helene Rasmussen

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Samarra, F.I.P., Esteban, R. (2021). Killer Whale Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Hackländer, K., Zachos, F.E. (eds) Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65038-8_100-1

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