Term
Relate the Dolphin Characteristic to the Mammal Characteristic:
Warm Blooded |
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Definition
| The average body temperature of a dolphin is 96.8 - 98.6 almost identical to humans. |
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Term
Relate the Dolphin Characteristic to the Mammal Characteristic:
Breathe Air w/ Lungs |
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Definition
| A bottlenose dolphin's maximum breath-holding capacity is about 12 minutes. |
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Term
Relate the Dolphin Characteristic to the Mammal Characteristic:
Give Live Birth |
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Definition
| A dolphins gestation period is about 12 months. Calves are born in the water, usually flukes first. |
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Term
Relate the Dolphin Characteristic to the Mammal Characteristic:
Nurse their Young |
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Definition
| Dolphin calves nurse below water near the surface for up to 18 months. The rich mother's milk is 33% milk fat, 6.8% protein and 58% water. |
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Term
Relate the Dolphin Characteristic to the Mammal Characteristic:
Hair at some point in the development |
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Definition
| A dolphin has some hair on their rostrum or beak but the hairs fall out shortly before or shortly after birth. |
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Term
| Describe the range and typical habitat of a Bottlenose Dolphin. |
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Definition
| Bottlenose Dolphins live in temperate and tropical waters worldwide. Bottlenose Dolphins live in a variety of habitats and can be separated into coastal or offshore ecotypes. Coastal ecotypes are adapted for warm, shallow waters and Offshore ecotypes are adapted for cooler, deeper ocean waters. |
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Term
| Describe the range and typical habitat of a Pacific White Sided Dolphin. |
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Definition
| Pacific White Sided Dolpins are found in the North Pacific Ocean - Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan and Kodiak Island to Baja California, Mexico. Primarily temperate waters less than 600 ft deep. |
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Term
| A dolphin sloughs off its outermost layer of skin at a rate nine times faster than humans. What purpose does this serve? |
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Definition
| A Bottlenose Dolphins outermost layer of skin is replaced every 2 hours. This turnover rate ensures a smooth body surface and probably helps increase swimming efficiency by reducing drag. |
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Term
| How would you explain Dolphin intelligence to a guest? |
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Definition
| Dolphins display complex behaviors and vocalizations. However, they are as intelligent as they need to be to survive in their environment. Accurately rating the intelligence of animals is challenging because it is not standardized and is often compared to human intelligence which is suited for a completely different environment. |
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Term
| Do Dolphins have good eyesight? Can Dolphins see color? |
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Definition
| Dolphins have accurate vision both in and out of the water but their eyes are particularity adapted for seeing under water. Their eyes have a well developed tapetum lucidum, a light reflecting layer that reflects light through the retina a second time, adjusting their vision to low-light levels. Dolphin's eye contain both rod and cone cells indicating that they may have the ability to see in both dim and bright light, however it is theorized that all modern cetaceans lack S-cone cells and therefore aren't able to discriminate color in the blue wavelengths. |
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Term
| Why don't dolphins get the bends? |
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Definition
| Dolphins, unlike human scuba divers, don't breathe air under pressure - only air from the surface. Also the alveoli in diving mammals collapse at about 3 atm (90 FT), forcing air into the bronchioles - a region where gases are not exchanged. |
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Term
| Why is the dolphin's sense of hearing so important in the sea? |
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Definition
| Dolphins rely heavily on sound production and reception to navigate, communicate, hunt, and avoid predators in dark or limited vision waters. |
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Term
| Describe a bottlenose dolphin "signature whistle". |
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Definition
| A bottlenose dolphin identifies itself with a signature whistle that is so distinct that scientists can identify individual dolphins by looking at their whistle shapes on a sonogram. |
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Term
| Describe a bottlenose dolphin social structure. |
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Definition
| Bottlenose dolphins live in fluid social groups of 2-20 individuals. The group composition and structure is based largely on age, sex, reproductive condition, family relationships and association histories. |
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Term
| How does a dolphin establish dominance within its group? |
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Definition
Dominance can be established and maintained through Biting,
Chasing,
Jaw clapping and
Smacking their tails on the water.
Aggression is often shown by raking, scratching one another with their teeth or emitting bubble clouds from their blowholes. |
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Term
| What is the average life expectancy of a one-year old bottlenose dolphin in an Alliance member facility? |
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Definition
| The average life expectancy of a bottlenose dolphin in an Alliance member facility is more than 25 years. |
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Term
| Why do scientists suggest that dolphins in Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums facilities live longer than their counterparts in the wild? |
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Definition
| Dolpins in Alliance facilities live longer because they receive the finest veterinary care, high quality food, and are part of social enrichment programs. |
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Term
| Why is it harmful to swim or interact with wild dolphins? |
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Definition
| Feeding or swimming with wild dolphins is considered harassment, causing the animals to became stressed or less able or willing to search for food on their own. |
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Term
| Why are Pacific White Sided Dolphins refered to as "lags" |
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Definition
| The Pacific White Sided Dolphins nickname "lags" come from its scientific name - Lagenorhynchus obliquidens. |
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Term
| How high can a Pacific White Sided Dolphin jump? |
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Definition
| Some Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been recording jumping as high as 25 feet. |
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Term
| What is the nickname of a Pacific White Sided Dolphin? |
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Definition
| The Pacific White Sided Dolphin is nicknamed "Acrobats of the Sea". |
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