Dolpin (2) Flashcards
What are the primary purposes of echolocation clicks that are used by bottlenose dolphins (2 Purposes)?
- Orientation
- Foraging
What is the frequency range of echolocation clicks used by bottlenose dolphins?
40-130 kHz
What vocalisations culminate as targets are approached by bottlenose dolphins?
Buzzes and whines
What are bottlenose dolphin burst pulse vocalisations also known as (3 Things)?
Barks, yelps, and donkey-like brays
What is the frequency range of burst pulse vocalisations?
0.2-16 kHz
What is the frequency range of whistles made by bottlenose dolphins?
2-20 kHz
Can bottlenose dolphins produce clicks and whistles simultaneously?
Yes
What are burst pulse vocalisations used for by bottlenose dolphins?
A variety of social functions
What is the global distribution of the common dolphin?
Worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate seas in both hemispheres.
Same as bottlenose dolphin, but these dolpins prefer off-shore environments.
Where is the common dolphin mainly distributed in the eastern North Atlantic?
In deeper waters from the Iberian Peninsula north to west Scotland
In which areas is the common dolphin common in British and Irish waters?
- Western approaches to the Channel
- Western approaches to the southern Irish Sea
- Off the west coast of Ireland.
Where is the common dolphin especially common off the coast of the UK?
Imagine an imaginary line between Poole and Normandy. This is where you’ll find them!
What is the diet of the common dolphin composed of?
A wide variety of fish and squid (pelagic fish/non-benthic fish make up a large proportion).
When are calves of the common dolphin mainly born?
Between June and September
Where and when was there a lonely common dolphin?
In the Solent during the 1990s. It remained there for a couple of years.
What is the most commonly recorded cetacean in the UK?
The harbour porpoise
Where can you see harbour porpoises in the English Channel (2 Places)
- They’re common west of Dorset
- However, for some reason they’re common around Dungeness in Kent
What do harbour porpoises like to eat?
Small fish, usually those that are smaller than 40cm
- Give one highly-sociable cetacean.
- Just how sociable are they?
- Long-finned pilot whales.
- They occur in pods of 40 to 60 individuals, but they can reach pod sizes greater than 1000!
What is the length range of a newborn bottlenose dolphin?
0.98-1.30m
What is the length range of an adult bottlenose dolphin?
2.2-4.0m
Describe the head and beak of the bottlenose dolphin.
Robust head with a distinct short beak, often white-tipped on lower jaw
What is the shape and placement of the dorsal fin on a bottlenose dolphin?
Centrally placed, fairly tall, slender, usually sickle-shaped
What are the color characteristics of the bottlenose dolphin?
Brown or dark grey back, lighter grey lower flanks grading to white on belly
What is the agility comparison between bottlenose dolphins and common or striped dolphins?
Bottlenose dolphins are less agile than common or striped dolphins.
What is a distinctive physical characteristic of bottlenose dolphins (Hint: markings)?
Absence of flank markings.
- What is the shape of the common dolphin’s forehead?
- Where can you find a groove?
- Low, tapering forehead
- Distinct groove separating the beak from the forehead
Describe the beak of the common dolphin.
Long, slender black beak, sometimes tipped white
What is the characteristic pattern found on the lower flanks of common dolphins?
Hourglass pattern of tan or yellowish-tan
How large can common dolphin pods be?
Up to 2,000 individuals (wow)!
