False killer whale

The false killer whale is black or dark gray, though slightly lighter on the underside. It has a slender body with an elongated, tapered head and 44 teeth. The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped, and its flippers are narrow, short, and pointed, with a distinctive bulge on the leading edge of the flipper (the side closest to the head). The average body length is around 4.9 m (16.1 ft), with females reaching a maximum size of 5 m (16.4 ft) in length and 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) in weight, and males 6 m (20 ft) long and 2,200 kg (4,900 lb) in weight. However, on average, males and females are about the same size. Newborns can be 1.5–2.1 m (4.9–6.9 ft) in length. Body temperature ranges from 36–37.2 °C (96.8–99.0 °F), increasing during activity. The teeth are conical, and there are 14–21 in the upper jaw and 16–24 in the lower. The false killer whale reaches physical maturity between 8 and 14 years, and maximum age in captivity is 57 years for males and 62 for females. Sexual maturity happens between 8 to 11 years. In one population, calving occurred at 7 year intervals; calving can occur year-round, though it usually occurs in late winter. Gestation takes around 15 months. Females lactate for 9 months to 2 years. The false killer whale is one of three toothed whales, the other two being the pilot whales, identified as having a sizable post-reproductive lifespan after menopause, which occurs between ages 45 and 55. Being a toothed whale, the false killer whale can echolocate using its melon organ in the forehead to create sound, which it uses to navigate and find prey. The melon is larger in males than in females.