So let’s take a deep look at the teeth number and arrangements in these two oceanic mammals.įalse killer whales have 44-45 conical teeth. Killer whales: Teethīoth false killer whales and killer whales are toothed whales, much like other dolphins. And they might also cross each other while migrating or hunting prey. Hence, it is not uncommon to find killer whales and false killer whales in the same oceanic habitat. False killer whales, which live in offshore seas deeper than 3,300 feet, are the polar opposite. Orcas are also most commonly seen in colder seas, such as those off the coasts of Antarctica, Alaska, Norway, and the eastern North Pacific Ocean. However, exploring their range of habitats is interesting to learn more about them.įalse killer whales prefer to stay in all tropical and subtropical oceans, whereas killer whales, or orcas, can be found across all oceans. Image Credit: Cetacea range map False Killer Whale by Pcb21 Mononykus Whi dou ( CC BY-SA 3.0) from Wikimediaīoth false killer whales and killer whales are social creatures and prefer to live in pods. Male: Large triangular Female/ juvenile: smaller and sometimes curvedįalse killer whales vs. Unusually curved and slightly rounded on the tip Narrow heads that taper to rounded snouts The following are some other notable differences in the appearance of these two mammals: Categories These two dolphins also differ in height and weight, with the killer whale reaching up to 8 meters and weighing over 6 tonnes. The orcas’ distinctive black and white coloring is one of the easiest ways to distinguish them from false killer whales with a greyish color tone. It is easy to point out the differences between a killer whale and a false killer whale based on their unique appearance. However, it is interesting to delve deep to decipher who will win based on characteristics. So it is not uncommon that a killer whale may indulge in a face-to-face fight with a false killer whale. In fact, killer whales are also feared by big and vicious sharks like great white sharks, as they can kill the latter very conveniently. However, the latter is aggressive but mostly behaves in non-aggressive ways with other dolphins. Killer whales are highly predatory and can fight with and prey on false killer whales. Hence, is there any chance of a duel between these two species? While killer whales or orcas are the largest dolphin species, false killer whales are much smaller in size and weight. Will there be a fight between false killer whales and killer whales? The following is a tabular summarization that will help get a glace of the difference between false killer whales and killer whales. However, they are not the same, as several differences exist between the two.

One of the commonest things between a false killer whale and a killer whale is that both these are dolphins. So, are these mammals share anything in common? Image Credit: Dolphin Ocean Sea from MaxpixelĪlthough names whales, false killer whales, and killer whales (orcas) are not whales but belong to the dolphin family. And killer whales are also known as orcas, the largest dolphin species.

On the contrary, both false killer whales and killer whales are different species of dolphins.

So let’s begin with our killer comparison! Are false killer whales and killer whales real whales?įirst thing first, since the name has ‘whale’ in it, are these mammals real whales? Do they share any common aspect with the whales, the largest mammals on earth?Īlthough they may be called whales, none of these belong to the whale family. Finally, we will try to conclude who will win over whom in a potential fight. The primary focus would be given to analyzing various facts associated with their appearance, food habit, habitat, and so on. Hence, this post has been dedicated to learning the differences between false killer whales and killer whales. Sometimes, they can be confusing as well. There are a lot of frequently asked questions that often arise in the minds of marine enthusiasts regarding these two species of dolphins. Both these are mammals and belong to the dolphin family. However, the false killer whales are not studied deeply as killer whales and experts are yet to learn about them fully. Two of such creatures are false killer whales and killer whales.įalse killer whales have such a name owing to the shape of their skull, which resembles the skull of killer whales. And there is a lot we are yet to learn about them. The marine world is filled with fascinating creatures.