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Quiz about Born in the Wild Dolphin
Quiz about Born in the Wild Dolphin

Born in the Wild: Dolphin Trivia Quiz


In this, my fifth 'Born in the Wild' quiz, we'll explore the reproductive behaviour of dolphins.

A multiple-choice quiz by ElusiveDream. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
ElusiveDream
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
372,324
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
516
Last 3 plays: Guest 8 (7/10), Guest 107 (8/10), Guest 92 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What do we call a baby dolphin? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Where is the most likely place a female dolphin will go to give birth? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Baby dolphins are always born tail-first. Why? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What happens if a male dolphin's sperm touches seawater? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Male Dusky dolphins have been known to display homosexual behaviour.


Question 6 of 10
6. Between what ages do male bottlenose dolphins reach sexual maturity? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How long is the gestation period of the short-beaked common dolphin? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Baby dolphins have lips.


Question 9 of 10
9. When it comes to getting the right to mate, male dolphins can be very aggressive toward each other.


Question 10 of 10
10. Is it possible for female bottlenose dolphins to give birth to twins?



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 02 2024 : Guest 8: 7/10
Feb 14 2024 : Guest 107: 8/10
Feb 04 2024 : Guest 92: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What do we call a baby dolphin?

Answer: calf

Baby dolphins are called calves.

An ephyna is a baby jellyfish, a cria is a baby alpaca and a kit is the name given to a baby ferret.
2. Where is the most likely place a female dolphin will go to give birth?

Answer: shallow water

When the time comes to give birth, female dolphins will move into shallow water. They are usually accompanied by other females who offer comfort, protect the mother from predators and help the newborn calf reach the surface to breathe.
3. Baby dolphins are always born tail-first. Why?

Answer: they would drown if born head-first

Since dolphins are air-breathers, in the time it takes to be born, the calf would drown if it came out head-first.
4. What happens if a male dolphin's sperm touches seawater?

Answer: they die

I once saw this on television. A sperm sample was taken from a captive-bred Bottlenose dolphin. When drops of seawater were added to the sample, it only took a few seconds for all the sperm to die.
5. Male Dusky dolphins have been known to display homosexual behaviour.

Answer: True

Dolphins occasionally display sexual behaviour for reasons other than reproduction, such as communication and strengthening social bonds within a group.
6. Between what ages do male bottlenose dolphins reach sexual maturity?

Answer: 9 and 14

For females, it's between the ages of five and thirteen.

The wide range in sexual maturity is due to geographical location and whether the dolphin is male or female.
7. How long is the gestation period of the short-beaked common dolphin?

Answer: eleven months

Female short-beaked common dolphins reach sexual maturity around the age of twelve years. At birth, a calf measures roughly one metre long and weighs ten kilograms.

Gestation periods vary between the different species. For example, Hector's dolphin, one of the smallest species, has a gestation period of around ten months, whereas the largest known species, the Orca (Killer whale), has a gestation period of eighteen months.
8. Baby dolphins have lips.

Answer: False

There's a reason why dolphins don't have lips. Unlike most mammals, dolphin calves do everything underwater, including suckling milk from their mothers. If a dolphin calf had lips, it would drown while trying to feed. Instead, a female dolphin's mammary glands have a special muscle. When this muscle contracts, it squirts milk out to feed the calf.
9. When it comes to getting the right to mate, male dolphins can be very aggressive toward each other.

Answer: True

Females will only mate with the strongest and most dominant males so, during the breeding season, males compete for the right to mate. These competitions include fighting with other males or herding a particular female, to prevent access by other males. In fact, male bottlenose dolphins have been observed following females for weeks, waiting for a chance to mate.
10. Is it possible for female bottlenose dolphins to give birth to twins?

Answer: Yes

It's rare but, yes, it's possible not only for bottlenose dolphins, but also other dolphin species to give birth to twins and even triplets. Usually, though, only one calf is born.
Source: Author ElusiveDream

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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This quiz is part of series Born In The Wild:

Every day on the land as well as in rivers, lakes and oceans, new lives are beginning. My 'Born In The Wild' series looks at the reproductive habits of various animals.

  1. Born in the Wild: Kangaroo Average
  2. Born in the Wild: Tiger Average
  3. Born in the Wild: Elephant Easier
  4. Born in the Wild: Crocodile Average
  5. Born in the Wild: Dolphin Average
  6. Born in the Wild: Emu Average
  7. Born in the Wild: Whale Average
  8. Born in the Wild: Shark Average

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