Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Getting to Know Dolphins The Cetaceans Intelligence Dolphin Variety Communication Dolphin or Porpoise? Help The Dolphins The Order of Things (Scientific Classification) Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea (“large sea dweller”) The scientific order Cetacea includes all whales Suborder: Odontoceti (toothed whales) Contains nine families, including: Family: Platanistidae (river dolphins) 5 species in 4 genera Family: Delphinidae (dolphins) 32 species in 17 genera including: Common dolphin, killer whale, and pilot whale Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises) 6 species in 3 genera Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help What’s the Porpoise? Dolphin and porpoise are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same (see Cetaceans). Do you think you know the difference? Test your Delphinidae and Phocoenidae knowledge. Going in order from 1 to 4, click on P for a porpoise characteristic or D for a dolphin characteristic. 1. Porpoises are 1. Small social groups usually found in small groupshave of 2-4. 2. Porpoises flat Many types teeth. of shovel-shaped dolphinshave gather in Dolphins pointed 3. much Thereshaped are 6 species larger social coneteeth. of porpoises, groups. 5 species of 4. and 32 river dolphins, species of marine dolphins. 2. Cone shaped teeth 3. Six marine species 4. A short, blunt snout Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help All In The Family (Delphinidae) Dolphins Are Whales, but Some Whales Are Dolphins! Bottlenose Dolphin Pilot Whale Killer Whale Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help Sounds and Echolocation Dolphins produce clicks and sounds that resemble moans, trills, grunts, squeaks, and creaking doors. They also produce whistles. They make these sounds at any time and at considerable depths. Click here to hear a Dolphin Dolphins produce sounds for two overlapping functions: communicating and navigating. Click here to see how echolocation works Dolphins direct "clicks" into the water and the clicks rebound off solid objects (fish, logs, boats) and echo back to the dolphins. Dolphins listen for the strength of the rebounding clicks to identify what the object is and its distance from them. This is known as echolocation. Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help Intelligence Dolphins are considered some of the smartest animals in the world, in part due to their elaborate social structures and relatively large brains Dolphins go through a long “childhood” and thus have an extended time to learn complex rules and communication The bottle-nosed dolphin has the second-largest brain to body size ratio of any animal, second only to human beings Some dolphins are very receptive to training and performing Researchers have taught dolphins a sign language in which signs are recognized as well as how their order affects meaning (syntax) Dolphins can mimic both sounds and physical behaviors Dolphins can determine when an object is not present or visible suggesting they have an abstract grasp of the meanings of symbols Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help Help The Dolphins Tens of thousands of porpoises and dolphins are dying every year due to problems caused by people. Many get caught in fishing nets and drown while others are exposed to pollution and toxins that can make them sick. Some species are also hunted commercially in other parts of the world. • What you can do to help: Keep informed on current issues Write to government officials about your concerns Support laws that protect dolphins and their ocean home Recycle your trash and use less plastic Buy products that are dolphin safe Participate in beach clean ups • For more information, visit these pages on the web: Defenders of Wildlife www.defenders.org/wildlife/dolphin/dolphinsum.html Friends of the Ocean www.friendsoftheocean.org/si_dolphin.htm Save the Dolphins www.savedolphins.org Cetaceans Dolphin or Porpoise? Dolphin Variety Communication Intelligence How to Help