Dolphin Characteristics and Behavior
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Dolphin Characteristics and Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What is a common reason dolphins breach the surface of the water?

  • To signal the presence of food (correct)
  • To regulate their body temperature
  • To attract mates
  • To escape predators
  • Which of the following weights is a dolphin likely to exceed?

  • 400 kg
  • 1000 kg
  • 5000 kg (correct)
  • 2500 kg
  • What term describes a group of dolphins living together?

  • Pods (correct)
  • Schools
  • Clans
  • Herds
  • Where does the Amazon river dolphin prefer to live?

    <p>Rivers and lakes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which step do dolphins manage to trap their prey during hunting?

    <p>They close the circle progressively</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do spinner dolphins communicate while hunting?

    <p>By clicking and whistling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What environmental change occurs when bottlenose dolphins hunt?

    <p>The water changes to become murky</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key similarity in hunting techniques between bottlenose and spinner dolphins?

    <p>They both use group coordination</p> Signup and view all the answers

    To which family do dolphins belong?

    <p>Whale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What word describes the ability of dolphins to maintain their body temperature?

    <p>Insulating</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the action when dolphins leap out of the water and flip?

    <p>Breach</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How high can a bottlenose dolphin jump out of the water?

    <p>4.9 meters</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements is true about dolphins?

    <p>Dolphins are mammals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do dolphins do to hunt their prey?

    <p>They swim around fish in large circles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What unique feature do dolphins have to breathe?

    <p>A blowhole</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which dolphins are known to form superpods due to abundance of food?

    <p>Dusky dolphins</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic distinguishes a dolphin's tail from that of a fish?

    <p>A dolphin's tail is horizontal.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do dolphins have an insulating layer of fat under their skin?

    <p>To maintain their body temperature in cold waters.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is used to describe a group of dolphins living together?

    <p>Pod</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do bottlenose dolphins typically hunt their prey?

    <p>By encircling fish and stirring up silt.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of breaching for dolphins?

    <p>To communicate the presence of food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is true regarding dolphin pods?

    <p>Pods often include mothers and their offspring.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a significant reason dusky dolphins form superpods?

    <p>Due to abundant food sources.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes where dolphins can be found?

    <p>In seas, oceans, and rivers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of blubber in dolphins?

    <p>To insulate against cold temperatures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do bottlenose dolphins typically hunt for food?

    <p>By forming large circles to trap fish in silt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes dolphins from fish?

    <p>Dolphins are warm-blooded mammals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common social structure of dolphin pods?

    <p>Pods consist of families and are influenced by age and sex</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following dolphins are known to create superpods?

    <p>Dusky dolphins</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic of dolphins allows them to breathe air?

    <p>Blowhole on the top of their heads</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What behavior do spinner dolphins exhibit while hunting tuna?

    <p>They rely on dolphins to indicate the location of their food</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is breaching in the context of dolphins?

    <p>Jumping out of the water and flipping over</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes dolphins from fish?

    <p>Dolphins are mammals with lungs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following describes the body of a dolphin?

    <p>Dolphins can weigh up to 5000 kg and grow up to 9.8 meters.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term describes a group of dolphins that works together during hunting?

    <p>Superpod</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What action do dolphins perform when they jump and flip out of the water?

    <p>Breach</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a dolphin's blowhole?

    <p>To breathe air.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first step in the hunting behavior of bottlenose dolphins?

    <p>They swim around fish in large circles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of body temperature regulation do dolphins exhibit?

    <p>They are endothermic.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How high can a bottlenose dolphin jump out of the water?

    <p>4.9 meters</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Dolphin Characteristics

    • Dolphins are marine mammals belonging to the whale family.
    • They can grow up to 9.8 meters in length and weigh over 5000 kg.
    • Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin and are usually a mixture of black, white and grey.
    • They have two fins on their sides, a triangular fin on their back and a horizontal tail.
    • They also have a layer of insulating fat called blubber under the skin.
    • Dolphins breathe through a single nostril on top of their head called the blowhole.

    Dolphin Behavior

    • Dolphins live in groups called pods, which are often formed based on age, sex and family relationships.
    • Dusky dolphins have been known to create superpods of over a thousand dolphins, often due to abundant food sources.
    • Dolphins can be found in coastal waters, shallow waters and even freshwater rivers and lakes.
    • Dolphins are warm-blooded and can maintain their body temperature.

    Hunting

    • Bottlenose dolphins hunt by swimming in large circles around their prey, stirring up the seafloor with their tails, making the water murky.
    • They trap the fish in a shrinking circle, then catch them when they leap out to escape.
    • Spinner dolphins communicate through clicks and whistles while swimming underwater.
    • They drive lantern fish to the surface for their pod and other fish to feed on.
    • Dolphins breach by jumping out of the water for several reasons, including signaling food availability.

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    Description

    This quiz explores the fascinating characteristics and behaviors of dolphins, including their anatomy and social structures. Learn how dolphins hunt and thrive in various aquatic environments. Test your knowledge about these intelligent marine mammals!

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