Reproduction
Killer Whales live in pods where the females are the authority. Males and females will live with their mothers their entire lives. To prevent interbreeding, Killer Whales will only mate with those from other pods. The habitat of these pods overlap a great deal so it isn’t hard for them to find others that they can mate with. The males are extremely competitive though when it comes to the females they will mate with. They end up in battles where blood is drawn using their shark teeth. Many adult Killer Whales are seen with scarring all over their bodies. This is the result of these battles for the right to reproduce. Sometimes they females will end up that way too due to the aggressive nature that the males take when they mating process is taking place. Reproduction takes place late in life for Killer Whales. The females aren’t mature until they are approximately 15 years of age. For males it is between 15 and 21 years of age. Females can mate until they are about 40 years of age. They aren’t going to mate every year either; instead they have what is known as a Polyestrous cycle for the females. They have cycles of fertilization just like human females where they may or may not be able to conceive.