#patches the bottlenose dolphin

[lightningspam]

Don’t worry, Blade (common dolphin sculpture) has a home on my work desk with my Patches the dolphin sculpture c:

[quillusquillus]

Pink Dolphins

I've read two posts with absolutely atrocious information about pink dolphins and rather than succumbing to the evil urge to correct people who are WRONG ON THE INTERNET (woe) I'm going to make my own post.

first of all "that's a bottlenose dolphin that's been photoshopped pink/generated by an art bot" yes that's pretty likely but ALSO, real albino dolphins can be VERY PINK INDEED, more than you'd ever think! but only some of the time... when an albino dolphin is exerted or excited their pale skin flushes with blood, making them look very pink (please look up dolphin skin biology sometime I won't get into it here but it's all kinds of wonderfully fucked up)

As an example, this is Supika (スピカ), an albino common bottlenose housed at the Taiji Whale Museum in Japan. As you can see she's nearly white when calm, but a shining rosy pink when excited and swimming about (source)

There are also dolphin species that are naturally pink! The one everyone always hastens to mention is the classic "pink dolphin": the amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) of Boto myth:

These guys start grey and get more pink as the grey scuffs off, with the adult males generally ending up pinker due to being larger and rowdier. Amazon river dolphins have a keel along their back, large flappy pectoral fins, dark teeth, and a very unique beak and general bone structure: Their neck vertebrae allow their heads to turn much more than other dolphins, which gives them big creases on either side of their necks, almost looking like gills. there's maybe several subspecies or even distinct species and they all look very slightly different, but those are the important traits they have in common.

These traits set them apart from the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), which are another commonly grey-to-pink dolphin that are VERY OFTEN mislabeled as amazon river dolphins. imo it's pretty easy to tell the difference because 1.) their photos are taken in wave-chopped open ocean waters not brown/green amazon waters, and 2.) they look so much more... dolphin-like (apologies to the boto) (source)

Most "pink dolphin" photos you see online are either of these guys or of "Pinky", an albino bottlenose living in a brackish lake system in Louisiana in the USA (and her calf), but there's one more I know of that can be slightly pink:

The tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) looks like a smaller cuter bottlenose and also inhabits the amazon. The closely related costero or guiana dolphin (S. guianensis) is its estuary/coastal cousin, and both of them can not only flush strongly pink but also a lovely soft purple! (the costero was also the first type of dolphin confirmed to have electrosense, but we won't get into that here) (source)

And finally, another thing that is important to note is that some oceanic dolphins with pale markings or patches, especially on their bellies, can flush pink, for pretty much all the same reasons this might happen to a pale-skinned human!

(Tursiops sp.) (source)

(Steno bredanensis) (source)

[inatungulates]

Atlantic spotted dolphin "Stenella" frontalis

Observed by jpdandretta, CC BY

Features for recognizing the bridled dolphins, pt. 1: Atlantic spotted dolphin

The five mid-size dolphin species traditionally grouped together in the paraphyletic genus Stenella - the "bridled" or "side-striped" dolphins - may not have the striking coloration of some dolphins (i.e., common dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins) or the extremely bold high-contrast patterning of others (i.e., southern right whale dolphins, Commerson's dolphins, killer whales), but these species still exhibit intricate patterns with several subtleties that, along with general body form, allow the fairly-similar species to be told apart.

Despite the name, Atlantic spotted dolphins are only sparsely spotted for much of their life, and complete coverage of a dense spot pattern develops only in the oldest individuals. Unspotted or lightly-spotted juveniles and young adults are probably the most "generic"-looking of the bridled dolphins, more easy to confuse with common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus than with any of their traditional congeners. Still, there are useful field marks to look for:

The most obvious, to my eye, is the intruding blaze from the paler thoracic patch (lighter area on the side of the face and ribcage) into the darker dorsal cape, running up toward the dorsal fin. Note that in this individual, the spotting is more heavily-developed along the thoracic patch and continues along the blaze, but the cape remains virtually unspotted.

The paler color of the underside often runs quite high up the sides of these dolphins, and can be quite strongly demarcated, rather than gradual. Note that in this individual, the transition from the medium-grey of the sides to the white of the lower body is crisp, and marked by a concentration of spots.

Note that the spots in the paler areas (lower body, face) are large, black, and more widely-spaced, while the spots in the darker areas (sides, back) are smaller, pale grey or whitish, and more concentrated. Older animals are completely dark with a dense covering of pale spots.

There is a fairly strong development of the mask (dark area immediately around the eye) and the typical delphinid bridle (thin stripes running from the eye over the rostrum, and from the rostrum to the blowhole).

Useful features of body form for ID:

The rostrum (beak) is of moderate length. It is a bit shorter and stubbier than in most of the other bridled dolphins, but it is notably longer and more thin than a common bottlenose dolphin.

The pectoral flippers and especially the dorsal fin are proportionally large. The relative size of the dorsal fin is, again, a useful trait for distinguishing from bottlenose dolphins.

[southjerseyweb]

Bottlenose Dolphin Stuck In South Jersey Creek For Several Days | Ocean City, NJ Patch

Bottlenose Dolphin Stuck In South Jersey Creek For Several Days – Ocean City, NJ – The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is urging residents not to …

[mnoonthego]

Day 30- Back on the Water

Today we took our first tour, a snorkelling and dolphin boat trip in the Watamu National Marine Park and Reserve. It was a bit shocking to suddenly be spending the day with 20 other people. I was impressed that we were told that no single use plastic bottles were allowed to be brought into the park. (Single use plastic bags were banned in Kenya prior to 2020). The amount of plastic bottles littering the beaches, streets and wilderness areas throughout Kenya has been disappointing and overwhelming.

Our first destination was to find the dolphins. It was a bit like the Masai Mara of the Ocean, a number of boats all started to crowd the pod of bottlenose dolphins. I talked to our captain about the regulations and was glad to hear that there were some and then a few minutes later I spotted the Parks boat coming out to talk to those that were infringing on the dolphins space. That said, it was still beautiful to see them!

Our next stop was the reef for some snorkelling. Unfortunately, we forgot Oriana’s underwater camera which was so disappointing as I would love to be able to revisit the seascapes we swam through. Snorkelling from Shela was good but this was great! I don’t know the names of most of the fish but the colour and movement was spectacular and the amount and diversity of fish was impressive. The coral was washed out in most places but there were a few patches of the brightly coloured coral you hope to see return on mass in the future. My favourite spotting was an octopus that was tucking its self under a rock when I spotted it! There were lion fish (we didn’t get close), tons of parrot fish, angelfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, clownfish, pipe fish, blue stripped snappers, red snappers, puffer fish and so many more. We also saw a bunch more of the giant clams that we had seen in Shela. I don’t know how it is possible to get cold but eventually that is what took Tamsyn and I back to the boat. The girls both raved about what they saw and I am so proud of their ability to swim and snorkel. Mark has taught Oriana how to dive while snorkelling and so away she would go to have a closer look at something of interest.

By this time we had worked up an appetite and were excited to head up Mida Creek for lunch on a small island. This is tour life so our boat and four others pulled up to the island and walked the short distance to a covered area with about 20 tables. After we were served our drinks, the courses started to arrive. Prawns, King Fish and lobster were all on the menu! What a feast!

Although the food was good the highlight of the lunch was meeting a lovely family who were visiting from Nairobi. Their daughter Joy had recently moved to Toronto to work for a software engineering firm and so we instantly had a connection. They were the nicest people and had all kinds of insight on growing up in Kenya. When we were getting ready to head back to our boats, Eileen handed us a gift- a bowl with a carving of an Elephant and the word Jambo on it. She had been surprised that we had chosen Kenya of all of the vacation destinations in the word and wanted to be sure we wouldn’t forget out trip (how could we??). She mentioned that the word Jambo isn’t actually used by locals and is only used when interacting with tourists. I couldn’t believe it! Here I thought we had been so smooth in adopting a Swahili word for greeting others. I refused to use the word for the rest of the day!

On our way back to the beach we were lucky enough to see a few turtles but they were a fair distance so I’m not sure what type they were. When we arrived at the beach we headed to the tiger shark nursery. Typically you don’t want to be anywhere near a tiger shark but the babies are ok and you know that the mom’s aren’t around (they are on the other side of the reef) so it was very cool to walk into the water to observe them.

We were so full from lunch that, other than Mark, we weren’t hungry. As he was craving a hamburger and we just wanted some more of that amazing gelato, we headed out. The gelato place was closed so we tried the tex-med place that had a table with comfy looking chairs that was street level and therefore would allow for people watching. Mark and I started with margaritas and the girls had milk shakes. The margaritas came with a side of shots!? The bartender said that Tequila is just summer water with a side of lime. I think as far as the girls were concerned, the best part was the restaurant kitten. Finally they had a cat they could pet and cuddle. My highlight, the “boy band” (a bunch of young boys with a water bottle drum) that sang Jambo Bwana, a popular song heard throughout Watamu, to us from the road. Mark loved his hamburger and I think the onion rings were the best we have ever had! We ended up having an interesting conversation with the owner, a Frenchman, his wife (kenyan) and their son which just added to the success of the evening.

[lightningspam-photography]

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops)

taken off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean

status: Least Concern

The usual early post for a new photo trip! Went whale watching Sunday morning. This photo set isn't quite the best (it was a rough time overall testing the new camera out on animals in the wild) but I had to share photos of this special dolphin I was lucky to see.

This unique individual is known as Patches. Often he is referred to as the piebald dolphin but his white patches are the result of leucism! He's a rare sight and a little boat shy so these were the best I was able to manage.

[texas-tuar]

Hello, yes, Hi. I love Patches.

[insuredgecko]

you got anymore of those fun looking whales with notable features ?? i love them

I have a bunch!

[ID: A photo of a bottlenose dolphin surfacing. It is covered in white markings. End ID]

Heres Patches, a bottlenose dolphin with some unique white markings. He’s believed to have leucism, which is partial but not complete loss of dark pigment.

And if killer whales with funky dorsal fins are your thing, I have plenty!

[ID: A photo of an adult male killer whale’s dorsal fin. It bends forward slightly. End ID]

This is R6, who looks like he put his fin on backwards.

[rootbeergoddess]

Beach Date

For @weirdkev27

_____________________________________________________________

“Ah, what a lovely day!” Phillianne said with a smile.

Owlson sighed as she put down the beach stuff. She wasn’t really a big fan of sand and surf but she had a rare day off so Philianne dragged her to the beach. The sun was good for your feathers according to her girlfriend. Owlson wasn’t so sure about that but she wasn’t going to question her significant other. She was just happy to be out of the office.

“Where should we set up?” Owlson asked, scanning the beach. “We need to find the perfect spot.”

Philianne removed her sleek, pink sunglasses and looked at the land around her. She mulled it over before pointing at a patch of sand. It was near some palm trees so there was shade and it was also close enough to the concession stand. The perfect spot. 

“Come along Zan,” Philianne said. “Let’s set the blanket down right here. I’m ready to start sunbathing.”

“I still don’t understand why you bother sunbathing,” Zan shrugged. “But okay.”

As the two of them headed over to the spot, Zan could see other ducks staring at Philianne. She was wearing a pink bikini top that had black polka dots that she had gotten in Milan. Of course, she looked amazing but Zan did not appreciate the stares. Each guy who stared at Philianne got a death glare from Zan. Just one murderous look from Zan caused all the gawkers to rethink their actions and avert their gaze. Some people just had no class.

“Smell those hot dogs,” Phillianne said, breaking Zan out of her thoughts.

“That’s what you’re commenting on?” Owlson asked. “I can’t believe you like hotdogs. They don’t seem like your type of thing. They’re not----classy.”

“Oh please,” Philliane dramatically rolled her eyes. “You can make anything classy. But that isn’t the point. There is nothing better than a good hotdog.”

Owlson was always learning more about her girlfriend. It was amazing how this extremely classy woman also enjoyed the simple things in life. Dating someone who is rich and classy sometimes was frustrating. Philliane never made her feel like she was lesser but she knew people stared at the two of them. Owlson knew her worth but that didn’t mean people’s judgy stares hurt any less. She was just happy to be in a relationship with someone. It had been such a long time she had dated someone and had been happy. This was the best relationship she had ever had. She wanted to keep it that way.

“Here we go,” Phillianne put her towel down. “The perfect spot. We even have a good view of the ocean.”

Owlson looked up; the ocean really looked beautiful. Philliane sat down and patted the spot next to her, signaling she wanted her girlfriend to join her. Owlson joined her, the two of them looking at blue expanse.  She had to admit, while she wasn’t a nature person, she was enjoying this. Maybe it was because she was with her girlfriend.

“I see that smile,” Philliane nudged her girlfriend. “You can’t try and hide it from me. You’re starting to have fun aren’t you?”

“That’s only because you’re here,” Owlson admitted. “I told you, I’m not a huge beach person.”

“Why is that?” Philliane asked, leaning against her girlfriend. 

“I feel like it’s because I’m such a workaholic,” Owlson said. “I work so hard and then I come home, feeling exhausted. Why would I want to go out and be in nature?”

“That makes some sense but look around you darling,” Philliane motioned around them. “Oh, dolphins!”

Philliane pointed out into the ocean. Two bottlenose dolphins were jumping out of the water. Other people looked on excitedly, taking pictures and squealing with delight.  Owlson smiled as she watched Phillianne’s happy expression. This made the trip to the beach worth it. She loved spending time with Phillianne but what she really loved was seeing Phillianne happy. Phillianne turned to look at Owlson and she smiled at her.

“I see another smile,” She teased.

“I’m smiling because of you,” Owlson said. “Seeing you happy makes me happy.”

“Aw, you’re such a hopeless romantic,” Phillianne cooed. “But I want you to be happy too. Oh, I have an idea. Stay right here dearest.”

Philliane got up and went over to the concession stand.  Owlson waited until she came back with two huge ice cream cones. The ice cream was a lovely orange color with sprinkles and on closer inspection, Owlson realized they were shaped like sea creatures. How cute!

“Mango ice cream,” Philliane handed a cone to Owlson. “Pedro makes it fresh every morning. All of his ice cream is handmade.”

“Pedro? You know his name?” Owlson took the cone. “Oh, it smells fresh. I don’t think I’ve ever had mangos before.”

Owlson took a lick and her eyes went wide.

“Wow, this is delicious!” Owlson took a few more licks. “He made this? This is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had.”

Phillianne smiled as she saw the excitement in Owlson’s eyes. Finally, she was starting to enjoy herself. Owlson had started working too hard again so Phillianne decided to surprise her with a trip to the beach. She knew her girlfriend was an indoor type but she needed this. Nature was refreshing and it helped recharge you.  She was happy to see Owlson opening up a bit more.

“Just wait until we have dinner,” Phillianne said. “Pedro takes hot dogs and makes them a five-star meal. You’re going to love it.”

“Well, if you hold him in such high regard, I’m sure I’ll like the rest of his food,” Owlson took a bite of ice cream. “Oh, too much! Brain freeze!”

“See, you’re already enjoying yourself,” Philliane chuckled. “Brain freeze is a beloved summertime event.”

“It may be beloved but I don't want it,” Owlson shook her head. “So after this, I guess we could go swimming for a bit. Maybe we’ll see the dolphins again.”

“That’s the spirit!” Philliane smiled and gave Owlson a kiss.

Maybe a day at the beach wouldn’t be so bad.

[sparrowminder]

not cat-related but kinda genetic-related, just want to share a cool picture of a dolphin i stumbled upon (search 'On a Fall Weekend, I Love to Watch the Dolphins Play' on Flickr). i don't know if it's just how the species really looks but that black patch kind of looks like a somatic mutation (that's what those are called, right)? idk if there's any info around about cetacean color mutations but i just think it's pretty neat.

Hm, the dolphin in question looks like a common bottlenose, so I think you’re right that it’s some sort of mutation. However, the dolphin has a black patch on its head as well as its side, and some unusual mottling on the underside of its right fin. The pattern doesn’t look symmetrical so...some sort of chimera? Definitely a cool find!

[broken-clover]

Illyria Aquarium AU

I think I’ve mentioned I have way way too many ideas when it comes to this series, and that also includes AU’s! I never got around to writing it, so maybe it’ll be fun to toss out some ideas instead of letting stuff collect dust in my docs.

-Not exactly a standard Mermaid AU, instead it focuses on the titular aquarium, which more-or-less functions as a sanctuary for various types of mermaids (or ‘mer’) for them to be taken care of and studied.

-Dr. Asuka R. Kreutz is the owner, director, and board head, but god help you if you actually see him come out of his office because that’s usually a sign that someone screwed up royally if he has to come intervene. He’s a shut-in in just about every sense of the word, but somehow everything still manages to get done.

-(Correction: The interns get everything done)

-Dr. Aria Valentine, Sr. is a big well-known marine biologist who’s worked with mer for decades alongside Dr Kreutz, at least until she moved on to solo work. Most recently, she did a study on two lionfish-types, Elphelt and Ramlethal, at least until part of her home facility collapsed, which forced her to find new homes for them and talk to her old friend for the first time in about ten years.

-In the process, she also kills two birds with one stone when she finds that the aquarium has a need for a temp worker.

-Enter: Aria Valentine, Jr., known as ‘Jack-O’ by anyone and everyone due to her love of candy and all things spooky. She grew up watching her mom’s studies, and has inherited a similar enthusiasm. She’s poured over books and mom’s research notes, but ultimately she’s in no way prepared for all the advanced biology stuff since she doesn’t have a doctorate, so she’s mostly responsible for giving everyone food and managing toys, general housekeeping and making sure none of the mer have killed one another.

-Axl’s the senior temp, which basically just means that he’s been there longer. But you’ll be damned if he ever actually shows up on time for his shift. The only reasons he hasn’t been fired yet is because 1, they are chronically understaffed, and 2, he is ridiculously good when it comes to some of the ‘trouble spots.’ For some reason, even the shier mer seem to take a shine to him. He and Jack-O get along positively swimmingly (lol) which is good, because sometimes when things go bad the two of them are stuck working ridiculous shifts and need to be able to get along.

-Dr. I-no (formally Dr. Ringo, but don’t call her that if you value your life) is one of the marine biologists, even though she doesn’t really seem it at first. Sure, she’s positively brilliant, but she’s also got the dirtiest mouth of anyone you’ll meet and has no filter (so obviously, she isn’t allowed to do the kindergarten tours) and is kind of an asshole. She isn’t completely heartless, though. She’s prone to being easier on Jack-O and offering her advice, and ultimately, she does care very deeply about the mer she’s in charge of keeping healthy.

-Nobody knows where Dr. Raven came from. He’s surrounded by rumors. All that can be confirmed is that he and Asuka have worked together for basically forever and he was around back when the Aquarium first opened. He’s scrawny and creepy-looking, has white hair, and talks like an old man, but he can also lift more than everyone else so there’s a rumor that he’s either unkillable or some sort of cryptid who really likes mermaids. Despite that, he’s actually really friendly, even if he seems to get into a lot of accidents and injure himself without really noticing or caring. It does help that he’s also the human doctor on-site, and knows how to patch up his own wounds.

-That’s it. That’s the entire staff. They have a lot to take care of but they can’t find many people who are both qualified and interested enough to do anything outside of temp work. So things going wrong is remarkably common, though fortunately, nobody has been killed yet

Mer Residents

-Sol is presumed to be a sunfish-type, which confuses everyone on multiple fronts. He’s a lot faster than he looks, and he’s also far more aggressive than a mola has any right to be. Most sunfish are chill and relaxed, and Sol can and will attack his tankmates unless he’s sleeping or tearing through his dinner. This does not, however, stop Axl from trying to befriend him, with Jack-O often having to pull Axl back at the last second before Sol can bite off his hand.

-Ky is basically the aquarium’s equivalent of a mascot. He’s an electric eel, but he’s incredibly well-mannered and good-looking, so he’s very often a star attraction for visitors, and appears on a lot of promos and ads for the facility (and yes, they do also have plushies of him at the gift shop. Jack-O bought one her first day and keeps it on her desk). He can easily get exasperated by the more rowdy fish, but still likes to socialize. He and Potemkin get along well, and he’s got a weird rivalry/friendship with Sol that on occasion results in the sunfish getting zapped.

-Nobody is exactly sure what Sin is or where he came from. He looks kinda like an eel and he’s got the blonde hair, so it’s presumed Ky is one of the parents. He’s a lot stronger than Ky, though, and doesn’t like to sit still, so Sol often needs to be enlisted to catch him for any number of reasons. Sin just kinda appeared one day and with an eye injury, so the staff taped on a waterproof patch. He still gets around okay, though he’s a bit dense, so on numerous instances he’s bumped into his own tank wall.

-Potemkin is a whale shark, and the biggest mer by far (though humorously, he’s considered on the small side for his species) and even though he could knock down the walls with ease, he’s a very relaxed fellow who prefers making drawings on the tank floor and playing with his super-reinforced toys than causing any kind of trouble. Since he’s so calm, he’s often used to try and encourage better behavior with their more troublesome residents, which is doubly useful since he’s hard to beat up if it doesn’t work out.

-Faust is a spiny seahorse, but like Sol, he moves far too fast for one. They also have to be very careful what tank they put him in. It isn’t that he’s asocial- in fact, he’s so over-social that it makes all the other mer uncomfortable. He seems half-convinced that he’s a biologist too, and likes attempting rudimentary ‘checkups’ on his tankmates. He even managed to get his hands on an aquarium labcoat, and he won’t give it back under any circumstances. His favorite toys are hats of all kinds. He has a collection.

-May is a bottlenose dolphin, and she has won the unofficial ‘most destructive’ award. The girl does not know her own strength, and has shattered a tank wall out of sheer excitement on more than one instance. When she isn’t causing damage, she tends to cling to Johnny since they were transferred there together, but she does also play with the other younger mer, like Sin and Bridget.

-Johnny is a grey reef shark, and also the smarmiest punk among all of them. Most of his time is spent either attempting to seduce female mer, or stealing anything remotely shiny and hoarding it. To keep his entertained and minimally destructive, it’s a common game to hide shiny coins in his enclosure or hidden inside of containers for him to find in ‘treasure hunts.’

-Baiken and Anji are a pair of koi who generally keep to themselves. Baiken was initially brought in after being found stuck in a dam, which resulted in severe damage to their eye, arm, and fin, all of which needed to be amputated. They’ve got a prosthetic arm and fin now, but it hasn’t done much for their temperament, and they’re rather sour and surly, preferring to keep away from crowds. They are a biter, and have caused fights in the past.

-Anji is basically Baiken’s opposite, which is good, since he seems to be the only one they can stand. He’s the arsty type, and likes to do little dances to flounce his fins whether or not there are people watching. He can be a bit mischievous, so it’s advised not to let your guard down around him. 

-Chipp is a rainbow trout-type that somehow became convinced that he’s a koi. He mostly tries to follow Baiken and Anji around, but Baiken inevitably gets annoyed with him and chases him off. He is also a troublemaker, but more out of stupidity and too much curiosity rather than malice. He is one of the more sociable, though, and a very friendly fellow who’s good at making friends, as long as they can put up with his seemingly-endless energy.

[lightningspam]

Patches!

Been playing with sculpture a little more and decided to let my current ocean obsession bleed into it. This is a real dolphin that visits the area named Patches! He's a bottlenose dolphin with leucism!

This was made with armature wire, aluminum foil, sculpey and paint.

[jadaartblogforfashion]

Final Major Project (FMP)

Marine Mammals

The first animals moved from the sea to colonise the land several million years ago. Global changes in climate and geography eventually convinced some of the mammals to return to the sea. Since then, these animals have evolved to be perfectly adapted to their surroundings. The majority of these animals are classified as cetaceans, which includes dolphins and whales. The other major group of marine mammals is the pinniped family, which includes seals and sea lions. Cetaceans can hold their breath for unimaginable lengths of time after breathing air and then diving. They are both peaceful and intelligent animals. Some of the largest brains in the world of mammals are found in the oceans. These animals have demonstrated remarkable communication and learning abilities. In the wild, they live in close family groups, caring for their young and each other. Their songs reverberate for miles beneath the waves. It is disheartening to think that most of these magnificent animals were hunted to extinction by humans. Today, however, they are returning under the protection of the majority of the world's governments. Their ambassadors help to save their kind by helping us better understand them in marine parks all over the world. The following is a list of some of the world's more well-known marine mammals.

Photo © Corel Corporation Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops melaena)

The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most well-known sea mammals. Their gentle nature has warmed our hearts. These highly social animals have been known to save humans in danger. They are intelligent creatures with brains comparable to ours. Some scientists believe they have complex communication abilities.

Photo © Corel Corporation Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Except for the visible body spots, the Atlantic spotted dolphin resembles the bottlenose dolphin. They are generally smaller than their relatives. They travel in close family groups called pods, as do all dolphins.

Photo © Corel Corporation Pilot Whale (Globicephala melaena)

The pilot whale is a small member of the whale family, measuring approximately 10 feet in length. They are perhaps best known for mass strandings, where entire pods of these animals beach themselves in an apparent suicide attempt. This behaviour is still unknown.

Photo © Corel Corporation Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

Shamu, the killer whale from "Free Willy," is a highly intelligent and sociable animal. Most marine parks have it as a standard attraction. Orca pods have been observed cooperating when hunting for food. They will even beach themselves temporarily in order to catch one of their favourite foods, the sea lion.

Photo © Corel Corporation Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

The humpback whale is a large animal that can grow to be 60 feet long. These magnificent creatures were hunted to the brink of extinction, but are now making a comeback. They eat plankton and are best known for their enchanting song, which can be heard for hundreds of miles beneath the sea.

Photo © Corel Corporation Pacific Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

Gray whales are one of the most well-known large whales. They are frequently seen swimming along the western coasts. These animals, which have long been endangered, are only now beginning to recover from overhunting. They can reach 50 feet in length and are frequently covered in barnacle patches.

Photo © Corel Corporation West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Manatees are graceful and serene animals. They feed on water plants and live in Florida's waterways and shores. Other species can be found in the Indian and Gulf of Mexico. They are slow-moving creatures that are on the verge of extinction due to careless boaters. Most manatees have boat motor scars on their backs.

Photo © Corel Corporation California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

Sea lions are probably the best-known members of the pinniped family. They inhabit the western coast of the United States and Canada. These animals are clumsy on land, but underwater their graceful ballets can reach speeds of 25 mph. They can dive to over 1000 feet, where they feed primarily on fish and squid.

Photo © Corel Corporation Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

These adorable creatures were once hunted to extinction for their fur. They used to live in the western United States' coastal waters, but they are now protected and making a comeback. They are frequently seen lying on their backs eating their preferred food, crustaceans.

[inatungulates]

Offshore spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata attenuata

Observed by ahmeddomarr, public domain

Features for recognizing the bridled dolphins, pt. 2: pantropical spotted dolphin

The pantropical spotted dolphin, as the name suggests, is found in warm waters across the globe. In most of its range, it is a primarily offshore species, though coastal forms also exist. The name also suggests spots, but - as with the Atlantic spotted dolphin "Stenella" frontalis - this is often not the case.

Useful features of pattern for ID:

Spots are often faint, especially in offshore forms which may remain nearly or completely spotless even as full-grown adults. This individual shows fairly typical offshore spotting, where the spots are small and dark, and most concentrated on the lower sides/underside toward the tailstock. The most-heavily-spotted forms are the coastal dolphins found in the eastern tropical Pacific, where they are the only dolphins to have spots.

The overall coloration is dark grey, rather than the classic three-toned delphinid coloration of a dark cape, mid-toned thoracic patch, and pale underside. While some pantropical spotted dolphins do have lighter ventral coloration, it is not as contrasting as it is in other species and the result is still a dolphin that is overall dark grey.

The shape of the dorsal cape is probably the key identifying feature. The cape rises above the face, and then has an obvious dip down below the dorsal fin. The margins of the cape are smooth and crisp; there is no intruding blaze from the thoracic patch. Even in dolphins - like this one - that have a low-contrast coloration, the dipping shape of the slightly-darker cape is obvious.

The lip line is very pale. In this individual the pale area is not especially prominent, but in some the pale area may be quite thick and often includes a completely-pale beak tip.

Useful features of body form for ID:

Beak is fairly long and probably the stoutest of the bridled dolphins, but still thinner than a bottlenose dolphin's.

Body is long, thick, and sleek.

The elongate sleekness of the body shape is exaggerated by the relatively small size of the pectoral flippers and the dorsal fin, which is falcate, pointed, and usually somewhat "back-swept".

[curewhimsy]

Webkinz I want + names

I want so many. I may not acquire them all but I still like to name them.

I already named all them, even if I don’t have them yet!

As you can see, I like sweets.

Blue googles- Puddle Black and white cat- Cookie Striped cheeky cat- Smiley Signature Moose- Maple Syrup Panther- Phantom Grape soda pup- Fizzy Cream soda pup- Cream Colorsplash Tiger- Art Scribbles pup- Scribble Batik elephant- Pinky Pewter panda- Pewter Icy mist leopard- Mystery Porcupine- Thimble Pretty panda- Majesty Black panther- Onyx Plum porcupine- Plum Signature cougar- Link Smaller Signature Persian Cat- Mittens Tomato clownfish- Mango White mouse- Speck Black bear- Pancake Spotted frog- Jumper Shark- Fang Bottlenose dolphin- Sea Foam Arctic polar bear- Arctic Mud hippo- Cashew Dalmatian- Dotson Fennec Fox- Cheesecake Lil Googles- Chibi Lil Golden retriever- Sandy Basset hound- Droopy Canary- Sunshine Cardinal- Crimson Blue Jay- Bluesy St. Bernard- Leonard Gray cat- Donut Orange cat- Honey Sheep- Sheepish Polar bear- Mush Brown dog- Brownie Lamb- Cotton Velvety elephant- Velvet Longhorn steer- Walnut Blossom sea turtle- Sea Bloom Cheeky bunny- Cupcake Sugarplum cheeky monkey- Sugarplum Pink Punch cheeky dog- Pastry Berry cheeky monkey- Peachy Blueberry cheeky dog- Taffy Bubblegum cheeky cat- Gumball Alpine St. Bernard- Alpine Chow Chow- Tiramisu Pink Dalmatian- Gigi Jelly Bean Puppy- Beanie Patchy puppy- Patches Dreamy sheep- Lullaby Brown Arabian- Clementine Polka dot puppy- Sphere Pinto- Soybean White terrier- Terra Springbok- Savannah Majestic tiger- Sunrise Blue bay dolphin- Seamore Cotton candy puppy- Sugar Polar bear cub- Vanilla Black oriole- Parry Monkey- Tumble Elephant- Pam Robin- Rocky Purple goldfish- Eggplant Poodle- Marshmallow Pom Pom Kitty- Pompom Mocha pup- Cocoa Golden retriever- Sammy Chickadee- Sterling Sparkle penguin- Glider Triggerfish- Soda Pop Pink glitter fish- Glimmer Pink and white dog- Merengue Brilliant Bandit- Sheen Fox Terrier- Juan Bichon frise- Elise Desert hedgehog- Waffle Baby bunny- Bebe Horse- Moe Raccutie- Sweetie Pie Silversoft cat- Chipper Chocolate lab- Woody Brown sugar puppy- Cinnamon Salt and Pepper dalmatian- Disco Curly Camel- Curly Fries Gecko- Lizzy Hummingbird- Hummy African black rhino- Pebble Rhino- Denim Lilac guinea pig- Flowery German Shepherd- Ranger Panda- Dandan Charming panda- Peter Panda Chihuahua- Caramel Smaller signature sea turtle- Emerald Signature arctic hare- Chilly Signature African Wild Dog- Umber Signature Border terrier- Willow Signature marble cat- Donut Signature yellow lab- Sunflower Smaller signature gray tabby- Wisp Smaller signature lamb- Babble Signature Portuguese Water Dog- Pal Signature Asian Elephant- India Signature Harp Seal- Powder Snow

[naomiyuan]

In ‘Moon Landing of Genomics,’ Scientists Sequence Ancient DNA From Dirt

Scientists have pieced together multiple entire ancient bear genetic codes from soil sediment.

The secret is using whole genomes as templates to reconstruct the ancient DNA.

Scientists now have a whole floodgate of new genetics to open up.

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough they’re comparing to the moon landing: sequencing a full ancient genome from soil samples.

How’s that on par with humans touching down on the lunar surface? Well, the research team from the University of Copenhagen found the entire genetic code of an ancient bear species without obtaining it from fossils, marking the very first time scientists have found genes outside the fossil record. And by gathering the DNA from the soil, these researchers gathered a bunch of examples, rather than just one single specimen’s genome.

The scientists found the ancient bear genetic material in the soil of Chiquihuite Cave in rural Mexico. Like the ancient Chauvet Cave in France, Chiquihuite contains some of the oldest human evidence in the world—but humans weren’t the only ones to use the caves.

The ancestral bear DNA dates back to about 16,000 years ago, and it comes from an unsavory, but logical source: bear waste.

“When an animal or a human urinates or defecates, cells from the organism are also excreted,” geneticist Eske Willerslev told ScienceAlert. “We have shown that hair, urine, and feces all provide genetic material which, in the right conditions, can survive for much longer than 10,000 years.”

From there, the researchers assembled the pieces of environmental DNA (eDNA). “Standard eDNA techniques allow species to be determined [without] macrofossils across a variety of environments including sediments, ice cores, lakes, rivers, and oceans,” the scientists explain in their paper, which appears in Current Biology.

Printing in China

So how did the team assemble the bears’ genome from these environmental scraps?

“We estimated a mitochondrial phylogeny using whole mitogenomes of the eight extant bears of the family Ursidae as well as three extinct bear lineages: cave bears (U. spelaeus) and the two extinct tremarctine bears, the North American giant short-faced bear, Arctodus, and the South American giant short-faced bear, Arctotherium, which we reassembled using the Andean bear as reference.”

Basically, the scientists patched together the complete ancient genome using modern and extinct bears as templates—think about using a model of a bottlenose dolphin as a guide to assemble the body parts of a killer whale. The parts aren’t exactly alike, but both animals have a dorsal fin and a blowhole.

Fossils offer scientists a huge amount of information, but the fossil record is spotty by nature, and doesn’t make sense to rely on as something to fully inform us about everyday activities and whole populations of animals. For example, one full T. rex specimen, while spectacular, doesn’t explain what the whole species’ genetic information was like.

Willerslev told ScienceAlert this research is “the moon landing of genomics” because it allows study of the genome without any fossil findings—bringing with it a vast wealth of new genetic information that can be gleaned fully from soil and other sediment.