Dolphins 2023 with verified questions and answers

Marine Mammal a mammal with mammal-like characteristics but lives in a purely marine environment. Bottlenose dolphin scientific name Tursiops truncatus (common) How Fast Dolphins Can Swim 18 miles per hour Normally Surface ______ to Breathe 2-3 times a minute Can make up to ______ clicks per minute 1,000 Cetacea is a scientific order of large aquatic mammals that have forelimbs modified into flippers, a horizontally flattened tail, one or two nostrils at the top of the head for breathing, and no hind limbs. Cetaceans include all whales, dolphins and porpoises. Odontoceti toothed whales. Odontoceti is a scientific suborder of whales characterized by having teeth and a single blowhole. The word "Odontoceti" comes from the Greek word for tooth, odontos. Mysticeti baleen whales. Delphinidae Scientists group most dolphins in the scientific family Delphinidae, part of the suborder Odontoceti. Delphinids (at least 36 species of ocean dolphins) include such well known dolphins as bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins as well as pilot whales and killer whales. Home Waters of dolphin live in temperate and tropical waters worldwide. Distribution is generally limited to surface water temperatures of 50°-90° F distribution of coastal dolphins In general, the coastal ecotype seems to be adapted for warm, shallow waters. Its smaller body and larger flippers suggest increased maneuverability and heat dissipation. These dolphins frequent harbors, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Distribution of off-shore dolphins In general, the offshore ecotype seems to be adapted for cooler, deeper waters. Certain characteristics of its blood indicate that this form may be better suited for deep diving. Its larger body helps to conserve heat and defend itself against predators. Dolphin migration ome coastal dolphins in higher latitudes show a clear tendency toward seasonal migrations, traveling farther south in the winter. For example, coastal bottlenose dolphins on the Atlantic side of the U.S. migrate seasonally between New Jersey and North Carolina. Some coastal animals stay within a limited home range: an area in which individuals or groups regularly move about during day-to-day activities. Individual dolphins that live within a home range are called "local residents." Resident dolphins have been identified along the coasts of Georgia, Florida, Texas, southern California, Gulf of California, and South Africa. countershading A bottlenose dolphin's skin color is gray to dark gray on its back, fading to white on its lower jaw and belly. May help conceal a dolphin from predators and prey. When viewed from above, a dolphin's dark back surface blends with the dark depths. When seen from below, a dolphin's lighter belly blends with the bright sea surface hypodermis blubber. A layer of fat reinforced by fibrous connective tissue. Blubber stores calories, which provide energy when food is in short supply. Blubber reduces heat loss, which is important for thermoregulation. Blubber thickness fluctuates by season as well as with body size and health status. pectoral fins Dolphins use their pectoral flippers mainly to steer and, with the help of the flukes, to stop. Blood circulation in the flippers adjusts to help maintain body temperature. Arteries in the flippers are surrounded by veins. Thus, some heat from the blood traveling through the arteries is transferred to the venous blood rather than the environment. This countercurrent heat exchange aids dolphins in conserving body heat. Dorsal Fin Like the flukes, the dorsal fin is made of dense, fibrous connective tissue, with no bone, cartilage, or muscle. As in the flukes and the flippers, arteries in the dorsal fin are surrounded by veins to help conserve or dissipate body heat. The dorsal fin may also help maintain balance as a dolphin swims, but is not necessarily essential. In fact, some whales and porpoises don't have dorsal fins at all. large brain size Comparisons of mammal brains are described as the ratio of brain size relative to body size. Bottlenose dolphin brains are larger than many other mammals of the same body size. Scientists are still determining what aquatic adaptations require the large brain size. One likely theory is that a larger brain size in dolphins may be at least partially due to an increased size of the auditory region to facilitate sound processing. Hypotheses that large brain size in dolphins indicates high intelligence are untested and disputed. The ability of an animal to process information is based upon its brain anatomy as well as the specific experiences the animal has. Rating the intelligence of different animals is misleading and extremely subjective. In fact, a reliable and consistent intelligence test for humans has yet to be developed. It would be improper to attempt to quantify or qualify the intelligence of animals using only human guidelines. auditory nerve The dolphin's auditory nerve is about twice the diameter of the human eighth nerve (connecting the inner ear to the brainstem) leading to more rapid sound processing for dolphins. In addition, a dolphin's auditory nerve supply is about three times that of humans—possibly providing more ultrasonic information to a dolphin's central nervous system for echolocation. Dolphin taste buds Little is known about sense of taste. They do have taste buds at the base of the tongue, although they haven't been well studied. One research study showed that bottlenose dolphins can distinguish chemicals such as citric acid. In zoological parks, whales and dolphins show strong preferences for specific food fishes. The International Whaling Commission The purpose of the IWC is to protect the future of whale stocks as a resource. Members of the IWC are requested to report direct and indirect catches of small cetaceans, including bottlenose dolphins, as part of the National Progress Reports on Cetacean Research. For the most part, however, these catches go largely unreported. IUCN IUCN/ The World Conservation Union Species Survival Commission Cetacean Specialist Group Action Plan contains several projects related to bottlenose dolphin conservation, including studies of accidental entanglements. The Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora (CITES) Bottlenose dolphins are listed on CITES Appendix II. Appendix II includes species identified as threatened, or likely to become endangered if trade isn't regulated. All toothed whales are protected by CITES. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) All marine mammals in and around U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA). According to the MMPA, it is illegal to harm, harass, touch, feed, restrain, and even to approach marine mammals in the wild. This is for their protection, and for ours. The MMPA is administered and enforced by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which regulates all activities that affect dolphins in the United States. NMFS programs support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources. U.S. Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA) This Act, passed on 1990, legislated the "Dolphin Safe" designation for tuna not caught by setting fishing nets on dolphins. As a result, incidental dolphin deaths declined dramatically in U.S. waters—from 5,083 in 1990 to 0 in 1996. The United Nations adopted a similar resolution in 1991, which established a global moratorium and effectively reduced dolphin mortality in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Texas A&M University received a grant to partially fund the assessment study of coastal dolphins in Tanzania, East Africa, to provide knowledge of the ecology and population biology of the dolphin species in the reserve, assess potential environmental implications, delineate appropriate mitigation measures, and lay down scientific bases for a broader long-term management plan. The Wildlife in Need Foundation of Lompoc, California received a grant from the Fund to support the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of stranded whales and dolphins in the Phillipines