Epaulard vs Sword Fern

Orcinus orca compared with Nephrolepis exaltata

Key Differences

Epaulard is Data Deficient while Sword Fern is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Epaulard	Sword Fern
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Nephrolepidaceae
Genus	Orcinus (Orcas)	Nephrolepis
Species	Orcinus orca	Nephrolepis exaltata

Conservation Status

Epaulard

DD — Data Deficient

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Unknown ?

Sword Fern

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Epaulard	Sword Fern
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	8.0 m	—
Average Weight	5.4 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Epaulard

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Sword Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania), Asia (Turkey), Europe (Portugal, Spain), North America (Cuba), Oceania and the Pacific (6 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Epaulard

The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas reach up to 9 meters and 6 tonnes and are found in every ocean from Arctic to Antarctic. Apex predators living in matrilineal pods with distinct dialects, hunting strategies, and cultural traditions that differ between populations. Some populations specialize in fish, others in marine mammals. No natural predators; orcas sit at the top of every marine food chain they inhabit.