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Baby dolphin calves are some of the most adorable marine mammals in the world. You’ve probably heard about how intelligent they are, but did you know that they use their tongues for straws or are born with mustaches? Let’s dive into five amazing facts about dolphins and check out some adorable pictures of dolphin calves!
#1: Baby Dolphins Use Their Tongues Like Straws
Imagine trying to take a sip of juice while underwater. Pretty impossible, right? Baby dolphins face a unique roadblock when it comes to breastfeeding from their mothers: they are underwater. Since breast milk is a liquid, you may be wondering how baby dolphins can drink their mother’s milk while staying in the water.
The answer is amazing: they use their tongues like a straw. Dolphin calves roll up their tongues like a straw when it’s time to go drink their breast milk. Dolphin calves have no control over how much they eat. Instead, their mothers do. Once a dolphin calf latches onto its mother’s nipple, the female dolphin squirts milk directly into the baby dolphin’s mouth. As a result, a full feed can only take a few seconds.
Another thing that makes it easier for baby dolphins to drink milk underwater is the consistency of the breast milk. It’s about as thick as a milkshake, making it easier for baby dolphins to get their nutrition while swimming under the sea!
#2: A dolphin calf blew underwater milk rings to imitate its trainer
Baby dolphins are smart cookies! A six-month-old baby dolphin named Dolly taught his trainers how to copy smoke rings underwater. This little dolphin saw her trainer blow out a puff of smoke, so he swam back to his mother, took a mouthful of breast milk, and swam back. She then spit the milk into the water, creating a smoke-like cloud around her!
Dolly’s trainer stated that he wasn’t working with her at all to do this trick. Instead, she made the connection that spitting out the milk underwater would resemble smoke in the air. This incident just shows how are incredibly intelligent baby dolphins!
#3: Dolphins are born with mustaches
Did you know that baby dolphins are born with a mustache? It’s true, but the most amazing thing about this mustache is what it does for the little ones sea animals. Because baby dolphins are born with less than perfect eyesight, they need a different way of locating their mothers during their first few days on Earth.
The tiny hairs are short and grow around the baby’s snout. After a few days, these hairs fall off naturally, as dolphin calves no longer need them.
#4: Baby Dolphins Can’t Breathe Underwater
Baby dolphins are marine animals, so you might assume they can breathe underwater like other fish. You will probably be surprised to hear that dolphin calves are mammals! That means baby dolphins and their parents don’t have gills, so they can’t breathe underwater. Instead, they have to come to the surface to get air.
Because of this, baby dolphins are born tail first. This ensures they don’t drown before they can surface for their first breath. Dolphin calves can hold their breath underwater for up to 15 minutes because they can spare the air in their lungs and only need a little bit at a time to get oxygen flowing to their brains.
Baby dolphins also don’t breathe from their mouths like other mammals. Instead, they get oxygen from the blowholes, which are located on top of their heads. Each time a dolphin calf takes a breath, they fill about 80% to 90% of their lungs. When you compare that to the typical human breath that only fills 10% of the lungs, it puts into perspective how amazing baby dolphins are!
#5: Dolphin calves learn to swim in the mother’s womb
When baby dolphins are born, they must immediately swim to the surface to take their first breath. But how do they know how to swim so quickly? The answer is amazing: they learn to swim while pregnant in their mother’s womb!
Scientists say baby dolphins swim around in the womb as early as 9 weeks of pregnancy. Since dolphins have a gestation period that ranges from nine to 12 months, dolphin calves have plenty of time to get all the exercise they need to learn to swim!
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