Once the baby has left the womb, the umbilical cord is broken and the baby rises to the surface (usually with the help of the mother) to take their first breath. Instead, they emerge at the tail end, followed by the rest of the body. Unlike human beings, dolphins do not exit the womb headfirst. To know more about dolphin reproduction, we should look into how the animals are born. They are viviparous animals, as almost all mammals are, meaning they give birth to live offspring. This means that dolphins reproduce by intercourse and fertilization. What kind of reproduction do dolphins have?Īs we have already seen, dolphins take part in sexual reproduction. Additionally, they are one of the few non-human animals to have sex for pleasure. They are seasonal polyestrous, meaning their reproductive season occurs between spring and autumn.ĭolphins are polygamous and males can mate with several females in a single day. They can ovulate between two and seven times a year, depending on the species. There is no single time or heat cycle for female dolphins. They may migrate to warmer areas to reproduce. Usually dolphins will mate during the warmer times of the year (spring/summer). While the male has to penetrate deep for fertilization, the whole process may only take a few seconds and require copulation to be repeated several times. The female and male interlock with their bellies touching and fertilization n can begin. Female dolphins have a vagina and males have a penis and testicles. When the female dolphin eventually agrees to mate, she approaches with her genitals towards the chosen male. They may even attack each other to show which is strongest. During the procession of this mating ritual, it is common for several males to compete for the same female. At first glance, they may look like other underwater games. This ritual consists of the male performing different swimming movements around the female. Before allowing the male to approach, there is a necessary mating ritual. Now we know when they become sexually mature, we can look at the process of dolphins mating more closely. What is common to all species is, once sexual maturity is reached, dolphins will become very sexually active. Since their life expectancy differs from species to species, it is normal for the time they reach sexual maturity to also vary. Some can live up to 60 years, but bottlenose dolphins average between 30 and 40 years. Since it takes years to reproduce, many people wonder how long do dolphins live? Again, this depends on the species. Males become sexually mature before females. However, this does vary according to species as some can take up to 13 years. Once fertilized, the embryo begins to form within the womb and labor occurs once fully developed.īottlenose dolphins reach sexual maturity around the ages of 5 to 7. Females have an ovulation period after which they mate with the male for fertilization. However, the process is very similar to that of other mammals. Bottlenose dolphin mating is a mystery to most human beings, partly because it occurs underwater and is not regularly recorded. These are perhaps the most famous and recognizable of all dolphin species, although this could be contended by orcas. To look at dolphins mating, we are going to focus mainly on bottlenose dolphins. They are victims of pollution, plastics, overfishing and other threats to their future. However, one of the most important and immediate threats to dolphins is we humans. For example, orcas (killer whales) regularly feed on dolphins. In a group, each member has a role depending on their age, sex, time of reproduction, etc.Īmong its main predators are sharks and other dolphins. The size can vary according to individual and species. They have a blowhole on the top of their body, a kind of spiracle which allows them to breathe air from the surface.ĭolphins can live on their own, but the majority live in groups. All of them have a stylized body and an elongated snout, but lengths vary. They range between 1.5 m (as can be seen in the Maui dolphin) to the killer whale, the largest dolphin species and not a whale at all. There are many different species of dolphin which display various morphologies. This is why it is common to see them swimming near the surface of the water. One aspect retained from their land walking heritage is their need to breathe air from the surface to intake oxygen. Dolphins are cetaceans, a type of mammal which was previously terrestrial, but then adapted to water via evolution. Before we explain specific behaviors linked to dolphins mating, we should provide some general background information.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |