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Pygmy killer whale: Difference between revisions

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=== Distinguishing from other dolphin species ===
Pygmy killer whales are most commonly confused wuthwith the [[melon-headed whale]] and the [[false killer whale]]. For instance, a published paper describing an encounter with a school of pygmy killer whales<ref name=":0" /> was later determined to be either a mixture of pygmy and false killer whales or solely false killer whales.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Baird|first=Robin W.|title=Pygmy Killer Whales (''Feresa attenuata'') or False Killer Whales (''Pseudorca crassidens'')? Identification of a Group of Small Cetaceans Seen off Ecuador in 2003|url=http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=491:letter-to-the-editor-pygmy-killer-whales-feresa-attenuata-or-false-killer-whales-pseudorca-crassidens-identification-of-a-group-of-small-cetaceans-seen-off-ecuador-in-2003&catid=6:volume-36-issue-3&Itemid=91|journal=Aquatic Mammals|volume=36|issue=3|pages=326–327|doi=10.1578/am.36.3.2010.326|year=2010}}</ref>
 
The three species can be differentiated by physical differences between them. One defining difference between pygmy killer whales and melon-headed whales is that although both species have white around the mouth, on pygmy killer whales the white extends back onto the face. Pygmy killer whales also have rounded tips as opposed to pointed tips on their dorsal fins. When compared to false killer whales, pygmy killer whales have a larger dorsal fin. Finally, pygmy killer whales have a more clearly defined line where the dark dorsal color changes to the lighter lateral color than either of the other two species.<ref name=":1" />
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