ANIMALS Being born underwater requires some adaptations! Fortunately, the mother dolphin is not alone.
A female usually only has a baby once every three years. — vkilikov/Shutterstock
Depending on their environment, dolphins reach maturity. sexual to serious; different ages, but on average they can mate around 10 years old. They live for about 40 years, and during their lifetime, females will have a young once every three years.
Short-lived pairs
Dolphins do not form pairs for life; on the contrary, the males mate with as many females as possible, which guarantees an optimal transmission of their genes. This strategy results in fierce competition for mates, with males competing to establish dominance.
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To prevent the competition from dragging on, the males, alone or in groups, then direct the females away from their potential competitors, allowing them to wait until they are receptive to mating without them having to worry about interference from other males.
During mating, the male and female position themselves belly to belly, with the dolphin’s external reproductive organs hidden in a slit in the abdomen to preserve the streamlined shape of the dolphin’s body. animal. Gestation lasts between 11 and 12 months and births usually take place between spring and autumn.
A birth under surveillance
The young are most often born out of first the tail and the umbilical cord come off at the time of delivery so as to what the newborn can swim. Once the caudal fin is out, the birth process can take a few hours to complete. Another dolphin, a sort of midwife, often stands close to the mother to help the little one take his first breath. A newborn dolphin measures approximately 1 m. For a few days, his fins and tail will stay soft and flexible before he gets to where he is. maturity.