Skip to main content

10 curiosities about dolphins

10 curiosities about dolphins

The dolphins are mammals belonging to the family Delphinidae and it is probably the most popular, charismatic and intelligent animal kingdom marine creatures.These characteristics and many other peculiarities make us humans become very interested in these cetaceans and their intelligence.Maybe you are looking for some dolphin curiosities for children or you may want to know more about the species.In any case, you have arrived at the right place!
In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will show you 10 curiosities of dolphins based on scientific studies that ensure its truthfulness, surely you discover many things you did not know about dolphins! If you want to know curious facts about dolphins, don't think about it, read on...

1.How many types of dolphins are there in the world?

As we have advanced in the introduction, oceanic dolphins or dolphins are mammals that belong to the family Delphinidae , which includes more than 30 different species. more than 2,000 dolphins in captivity , who live in water parks, dolphinariums and even in commercial enclosures.
It is not possible to provide accurate information regarding the population of dolphins in freedom , but it would be around 9 million individuals .Dolphins are gregarious animals, that is, with a tendency to group, being able to create groups of up to 1,000 copies, which they communicate and relate to each other.

10 curiosities about dolphins

2.Where do dolphins live?

The habitat of the dolphins and their migration can vary depending on several factors, such as the abundance of food, the temperature or the distance to the shore.They usually opt for shallow, near-shore waters of Tropical and temperate climates , thus avoiding colder waters.For that reason, we can find dolphins in virtually anywhere in the world.

3.Dolphin communication

The forms of communication that dolphins emit when interacting with each other and with the environment is probably one of the aspects that has generated a greater interest in the scientific community.Dolphins use a very developed and sensitive method that It is called "echolocation" to receive information about the environment in which they are located, but they also perform "vocal specializations" of high and low frequency to communicate with each other and even with other marine individuals.
Since some porpoises seem to use the echolocation system in a rhythmic way to communicate with each other and not only to interact with the environment, it is estimated that dolphins may also have developed vocal specializations and auditory, thus generating a varied and complex communication system .[1]
The wide variety of whistles produced by dolphins can vary according to ambient noise [2] and their variety and complexity demonstrate their important cognitive abilities.Some of the functions of the whistles are the recognition of specific individuals , the cohesion in the group or the coordination of movements, hunting or surveillance among others.[3] [4] 

10 curiosities about dolphins

4.Do dolphins use tools?

A study conducted in a group of bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops sp.) in freedom revealed that some individuals, mostly females, used sponges as tools during foraging.from observing them for days it was concluded that they used them for the search for food .
Although this hypothesis is the most supported, it is also estimated that dolphins can use sponges for activities related to the game or that take advantage of some of its components, for example for medicinal purposes.In any case, sponge transport is a common specialization of dolphin behavior.[5]

5.Is it true that dolphins sleep with one eye open?

The Dolphins do not sound the same way as other mammals, in fact, a study published in 1964 explained that bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) slept with one eye open and one closed and suggested that it could be due to a state of alertness to possible predators .However, no physiological correlation was observed between the cerebral hemisphere and the open eye, so it could not be demonstrated that this type of behavior had a real surveillance function.
Later, another study conducted on white Pacific dolphins ( Lagenorhynchus obliquidens ) in captivity showed that this particular group opened or closed the eyes depending on the position in the pool of other group members, therefore, it is estimated that they open and close their eyes during the hours of sleep to ensure eye contact with other members of the same group social.[6]

10 curiosities about dolphins

6.What do dolphins eat?

In the early stages of life, the dolphin feeds only on breast milk, until it begins to hunt itself and feed on other resources.The dolphins are carnivorous and their diet is mainly based on the consumption of fish, octopus, molluscs and other invertebrates .
Dolphins can eat amazingly large prey, even those that can exceed 4 or 6 kilograms, since gobble instead of chewing .This form of feeding prevents the spines or fins of their prey from being stuck.

7.Dolphin intelligence

The dolphins are rational animals , that is, they are able to understand and represent the environment in which they live, make logical thoughts and draw conclusions from them.They can also modify their intentional behaviors thus creating new models of interaction and looking for new perspectives or objectives.These are intelligent animals, both behavioral, cognitive or social.
They are aware of themselves, are capable of carrying through different procedures or methods, they have a social conscience and also show a complex domain of language and natural forms of communication of the species.[8]

8.Are dolphins bisexual?

While conducting a study on bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) in captivity, homosexual and heterosexual behaviors were observed in individuals, as well as practice of masturbation in males.[7] Likewise, a documentary about homosexuality in the animal kingdom of National Geographic, identifies dolphins as very affective creatures who carry out regular sexual practices, which include couple sex with members of the same and different sex or who practice sex in group.
10 curiosities about dolphins

9.Do dolphins attack man?

They are extremely rare cases of dolphin attacks on human beings in freedom.In most cases they are dolphins that confuse people with prey, so they end up releasing them, but it can also happen if humans bother them or try to interact with them.
On the contrary, cases of dolphin attacks on people in captivity are more common and Some dolphin defense organizations, such as SOS Dolphins, state the living conditions of these animals as the main cause.

10.The effects of captivity on dolphins

The living conditions of dolphins in captivity directly affect their physical and psychological well-being .Although they are tried to offer a wide environment and mental stimulation is practiced with them, the truth is is that space limitations and the constant auditory and sound stimuli reduce the quality of life of dolphins in captivity.They also influence the lack of natural seawater or food based on frozen fish. life expectancy of dolphins in captivity is around 20 years old, while in its natural environment it is around 50 years old.
On the sidelines Of the aforementioned factors, special attention should also be given to the socialization of dolphins, since most of them do not have a sufficiently large group.Others have been introduced into their pools exemplary of other families, or worse, there are also dolphins who live alone.
All these factors cause stress and anxiety in these intelligent cetaceans, being able to generate a state of chronic stress that acts directly in their immune system predisposing them to suffer various diseases For that reason, more and more organizations are struggling so that dolphins can be taken in captivity to sanctuaries and specialized marine shelters.
S
10 curiosities about dolphins

If you want to read more articles similar to 10 curiosities about dolphins , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the mu ndo animal.
References
Peter L.Tyack, Studying how Cetaceans use Sound to Explore their Environment , Part of the Perspectives in Ethology book series (PEIE, volume 12 ) Tadamichi Morisaka, Masanori Shinohara, Fumio Nakahara, and Tomonari Akamatsu, Effects of ambient noise on the whistles of indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin poplations , American Society of Mammalogists April 17 2004 Vincent M.Janik, Cognitive skills in bottlenose dolphin communication , Trends in Cognitive Sciences Volume 17 Issue 4, April 2013 R.Smolker, A.Richards, R.Connor, J.Mann, P.Berggren., Sponge Carrying by Dolphins ( Delphinidae, Tursiops sp.): A Foraging Specialization Involving Tool Use? , International journal of behavioral biology Ethology, April 26, 2010 P.Dawn, Behavioral aspects of sleep in pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Gill 1865) Issue Online 26 August 2006 McBride, AF,&Hebb, DO (1948). Behavior of the captive bottle-nose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus .Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 41 (2), 111-123.Herman, LM (2006).Intelligence and rational behavior in the bottlenosed dolphin.In S.Hurley&M.Nudds ( Eds.), Rational animals? (pp.439-467).New York, NY, US: Oxford University Press.
Bibliography

  • SOS Dolphins

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Types of monkeys and their names

Monkeys are primates classified according to scientific jargon in the Platirrinos or monkeys of the new world and the Cercopitecoideos or monkeys of the old world.The hominoids, which would be primates that have no tail, where man enters. Animals such as orangutan, chimpance, gorilla or gibbons also do not enter the scientific classification of monkeys, since the latter, in addition to having a tail, have a more primitive skeleton and are small animals. Then you can see the scientific classification of monkeys in more detail, where you can distinguish two different parvordenes and a total of six families of monkeys, all this in this article of Animals and Pets Online.The different types of monkeys and their names you can see them below: Classification of the Simiiform infraorder To correctly understand everything about the types of monkeys we must detail that there are a total of 6 families of monkeys grouped in 2 different parvordenes. Parvorden Platyrrhini: This in...

Cetaceans - Meaning, Types and Features

The cetaceans are the marine animals most famous for their presence in ancient tales and legends.They are animals that have always aroused great interest on the part of the human being.These animals, in general, are great strangers that, little by little, are disappearing without, apparently , let's do nothing. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about cetaceans, which are, their characteristics, where they live and other curiosities .Do you want to know more about these inhabitants of the sea ​​depths? Keep reading! What are cetaceans? The order of the cetaceans is composed of two suborders, the myxicets, formed by the bearded whales, and that of the odontocetes, composed of cetaceans with teeth, such as sperm whales, dolphins and killer whales. The evolution of the cetaceans has resulted in a similarity between these two living suborders, being the result of evolutionary convergence.The common structural characteristics between the two groups, suc...

How to care for a cat with a broken hip

My kitten, we do not know if she suffered a blow or fell hit, the report is that she ran her back a bit, she has no owner recognizes me because I give her to decommission at specific times, she does not attack but she defends herself it is not allowed to touch it has been almost impossible to grab it to place it in the transporter covering its head, now it is in my house to build a shelter it hides under a sofa and makes its needs but I do not see it eat I think it takes water this happened on 22/1 and today is 1/28/2019, they have dared me but I have no experience with animals that are not domesticated and that do not let themselves be touched, it is very intelligent, it hides recognizes the place and I do not know if I should leave it there, I put the sanitary stones and she goes and does her needs and retires down from the sofa I have her fenced, and for now when she is seen I see her well, she does not take the medication for pain and to solidify her bones, but neither does she com...

12 animals of Patagonia that you should know

Animals of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia Generally, Patagonia is usually "divided" into two large areas or regions: the coastal or coastal zone , which is cleared by the Atlantic Ocean on the Argentine side and the Ocean Pacific, in Chile, and the continental or Andean-Patagonian region that includes the most central regions, with predominantly desert climates, up to the Andes Mountains, with a great predominance of humid and glacial forests. In addition to the differences in the landscape, it is also possible to note that biodiversity is usually different in these regions.In the coastal region, we observe a clear predominance of fish, birds and aquatic mammals, while in the area continental land mammals and species adapted to freshwater bodies, mainly lakes and lagoons stand out. As in both regions, we find several locations with similar microclimates and environmental conditions in both Chilean Patagonia and the argenti na, it is possible to find many species tha...

15 pollinating animals - Characteristics and examples

What is pollination? Reproduction of most plant species occurs sexually, that is, it requires the union of female and male cells for fertilization .Cells are found in pollen (male), so it needs to be transferred to the flower pistil (female), where fertilization occurs and, after this process, the flower becomes a fruit with seeds. So, when we talk about the reproduction of plants, the intervention of a third party is often required, which is known as " pollinator " to do it possible. These pollinating agents can be insects, other animals and even natural elements such as water and wind.In the case of animal species, they have found a balance with the flora and evolved together, so that plants have been able to produce flowers of different aromas, shapes and colors in order to attract pollinating agents to feed on the nectar. When animals feed on the nectar, transport pollen involuntarily on their legs, wings or another part of the body.When covered with polle...

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

The equine colic is the first cause of mortality in horses and many horse owners have to face it once since it is the most frequent disease of the adult horse.Colic syndrome is defined as a abdominal pain of varied origins . The horse is a hypersensitive animal and the external manifestations of the colic can be impressive.Some specificities of the horse can complicate the situation: a horse cannot vomit, so that the food that has reached the stomach is forced to follow its path in the digestive tract.In addition, certain parasites such as strongils cause a narrowing of the arteries of the digestive system, which can make the condition worse. Fortunately less than 10% of horses with colic require surgery.case colic syndrome is a of the most important equine pathologies for their severity and frequency, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will tell you everything you need to know about the colic in horses . Symptoms of colic on the horse Colic or colic syndrome is...

Can I bathe my dog ​​if I just wormed him?

When is it a first time in adopting a dog, it is normal that many doubts arise about what is best for them and when it is advisable to do everything, so Animals and Pets Online solves all the questions that arise. Deworming your dog periodically is necessary to preserve their health and avoid possible diseases from the action of microorganisms, external and internal parasites, among others.If you do not know when you should bathe your dog after a deworming , keep reading this article. Why deworm the dog? You may think that deworming is not necessary, but the truth is that thanks to it you avoid your dog much discomfort, in addition to prevent diseases transmitted by parasites . Among the main parasites, both external and internal, are ticks, fleas, lice, losacaros and intestinal worms, among many others.Pruritus, hair loss, diarrhea, tick disease, and even death in the most serious cases, they are part of the consequences that cause these beings to stay in the body of your furr...

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Animals with exoskeleton - Names and examples

The body of the largest vertebrate animals is not a mystery to most of people: it is known that it has a skeleton, internal vital organs (heart, brain, etc.), a dermis of variable and organ characteristics through which the five senses are manifested, among other characteristics. However, have you wondered what the invertebrate morphology is like? Then you need to know all about the animals with exoskeleton, names and examples. Don't miss this Animals and Pets Online article! What is the exoskeleton? The exoskeleton is an external structure that covers the body of various animals, including arthropods.It is characterized by being resistant but flexible .This structure It consists of different substances depending on the subfile to which the animal belongs: chitin for insects and fungi, calcium in mollusks and corals or silica in diatoms among other components. In turn, the exoskeleton is formed by three structures : Cuticle : non-cellular layer secreted by the hyp...

Clean a dog's ears step by step

Cleaning the ears of the dog is a behavior that we should carry out regular, whether it is a puppy or an adult dog.It is very important to apply frequent hygiene of the ears to avoid the appearance of fungi. Next we will explain what products you need to carry it out and how It must be the method for everything to go perfectly. Keep reading this complete article by Animals and Pets Online and discover how to clean the ears of a dog step by step : Steps to follow: 1 The first step will be to gather all the materials that we may need to clean the dog's ears properly: sterile gauze swabs physiological serum Instead of physiological serum you can also choose to use hydrogen peroxide or specific preparations that we will find in any pet store.What is recommended is Apply sterile gauze as the cotton can fray inside the ear of the dog and rot.Finally, and for a much more thorough cleaning we may need swabs, yes, baby.Much safer. 2 It is important to keep in mind ...