A Baby Dolphin Is Called A Calf
Dolphins are fascinating intelligent marine mammals that have been the subject of a variety of books, films, and scientific studies. One of the most frequently asked questions about dolphins is “what do you call a baby dolphin?”. The answer is a calf, just like a baby whale is referred to as a calf as well.
Physical Characteristics of Dolphin Calves
A dolphin calf is a juvenile that has not yet reached adulthood. Dolphin calves are born with a few interesting physical characteristics.
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- Body: Dolphin calves typically measure between 2-3 feet long at birth and their bodies are covered in fine hair.
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- Coloring: Dolphin calves are often gray or tan in color, which helps to camouflage them.
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- Eyes: Dolphin calves are born with fully functional eyes and they can see quite clearly at birth.
Behavior of Dolphin Calves
It’s not just physical characteristics that make dolphin calves unique, their behavior is quite interesting as well.
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- Bonding: Almost immediately after birth, the calf forms an incredibly strong bond with its mother.
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- Learning: Dolphin calves learn by observing their mother as well as other dolphins in their pod. This helps the calves learn many skills that are necessary for survival.
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- Hunting: Dolphin calves are able to begin hunting for food when they reach 3-6 months of age. Until then, they feed off of the milk of their mother.
Dolphin calves are an amazing species that exhibit fascinating behavior and physical characteristics. Despite not reaching adulthood until 8-10 years of age, dolphin calves can still survive and thrive in the wild thanks to their strong bonds with their mothers and the skills they learn while growing up.