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Killer Whale

1277-0024

In Stock

$21.95

$24.15 inc. GST

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These lifelike animals add an element of realism to imaginary play spaces. Through engaging spaces, children are able to explore a variety of animal environments.

The animals will encourage children’s understanding of animal names, temperaments and their natural habitat.  The inclusion of natural elements such as grasses, logs and soils will inspire children’s explorations and imaginative role play.

About Blue Whales
The Blue Whale is the largest animal that ever lived on the planet. They can reach 30 metres in length and 150 tonnes in weight.

Blue whales evolved from hippopotamuses. They developed streamlined shape (responsible for their graceful movement through the water), transformed their front limbs into fins, reduced their hind legs and developed a strong and wide tail.

Despite its' huge size, it eats one of the smallest animals on the planet - krill (shrimp-like invertebrates).
Blue whales are filter-feeders. They swallow huge amount of water with krill and filter the food from the water. Instead of teeth, they have keratinous (human nails and hair are made of the same material) plates, called "baleen", which act like a comb, which releases swallowed water and keeps the krill inside the mouth. The Blue Whale eats 4 to 6 tonnes of krill every day.

The Blue Whale breathes using its' lungs. It has a huge nostril on the top of its' head through which it exhales. Exhaled air, which looks like a fountain, can reach the height of 9 metres.

Blue whales are the loudest animals on the planet. Their songs can be heard a long way away, because their call has 190 decibels.

Blue whales communicate via songs. They are solitary creatures which gather during breeding season. Scientists believe that whales can hear songs even if they are 1600km away from each other. Blue whales produce sounds for echo-location also (they navigate through the water by listening to the the sound which bounces off from the objects in front of them).

Besides humans, the only predators of Blue Whales are Killer Whales / Orcas and Great White Sharks.

Female gives birth to one baby after one yearThese lifelike animals add an element of realism to imaginary play spaces. Through engaging spaces, children are able to explore a variety of animal environments.

The animals will encourage children’s understanding of animal names, temperaments and their natural habitat.  The inclusion of natural elements such as grasses, logs and soils will inspire children’s explorations and imaginative role play.

About Killer Whales
Killer whales are often called Orcas. Though they don't typically attack humans, this name is still well-chosen due to the animal's ability to take down large marine animals, such as sea lions and whales.

Killer Whales will prey on almost any animal they find in the sea, in the air over the water or along the coastline. To hunt, killer whales use their massive teeth, which can grow up to 10 centimeters long.
 
Killer Whales are known for their long dorsal fin (the fin on the animal's back) and black-and-white colouring. Just behind the dorsal fin is a patch of gray called a "saddle" — because it looks like a riding saddle.

Killer Whales are considered the largest species of the dolphin family. They weigh up to 6 tonnes and grow to 7 to 9.7 meters.

They live in the oceans and seas surrounding most coastal countries. They adapt very well to any climate. For example, they can live in the warm waters near the equator or the icy waters of the North and South Pole regions.

These animals do not stay in one area and have been documented traveling long distances.

Killer Whales are very social and live in groups called pods, which usually have up to 40 members. They are apex predators, at the top of the food chain. No other animals  (except for humans) hunt them. Killer Whales feed on sea birds, squid, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, rays and fish. They also eat most marine mammals, such as seals and dugongs.

They use many different techniques to catch prey. Sometimes they beach themselves to catch seals on land, meaning they jump from the water onto land. They will also work together to catch larger prey or groups of prey such as schools of fish.

A female Killer Whale will give birth every 3 to 10 years, to one offspring at a time. The gestation period usually lasts for around 17 months. A baby Killer Whale is called a calf, and they are about 2.6 m long 120 to 160 kg at birth.

Killer Whales can live from 50 to 100 years.

Suitable for ages 3 + years.

Dimensions: 20 x 4.5 x 7.5 cm
The Blue Whale can live between 80 and 90 years in the wild.

Suitable for ages 3 + years.

Dimensions: 26 x 11 x 4 cm

Specifications

Suitable for Age Group

  • 2 - 3 years
  • 3 - 4 years
  • 4 years +