scholarly journals Behavioural Diversity Study in Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Groups and Its Implications for Welfare Assessments

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1715
Author(s):  
Fabienne Delfour ◽  
Ruta Vaicekauskaite ◽  
Daniel García-Párraga ◽  
Cristina Pilenga ◽  
Agathe Serres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Social Grouping ◽  
Group Compositions ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Diversity Study ◽  
Behavioural Diversity

In the recent past, animal welfare studies have tried to determine the best animal welfare measures and indicators. Expression of behavioural diversity is considered a potential positive welfare indicator, and to the authors’ knowledge, it has not been validated nor studied in cetaceans. For the first time, a behavioural diversity study on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) groups was conducted at six European facilities. The study was carried out by the animal care staff, biologists and veterinarians and included 54 dolphins housed in several group compositions at the different participating facilities. The goal of our study was to analyse behavioural diversity in bottlenose dolphins at the group level to investigate how particular factors might impact the diversity of behaviours within the group and to discuss its implications for dolphin welfare assessments. Eight factors (i.e., “observer location”, “number of individuals”, “age class”, “sex”, “social grouping”, “presence/absence of leading male”, “presence/absence of visitors” and “enrichment provision”) impacted the behavioural diversity of the observed groups, while no significant impact of the factors “time of day” and “activity before/after observation” could be found. Our study showed the feasibility of this kind of approach for cetaceans under professional care and the relevance to considering this parameter in dolphin welfare studies, despite certain limitations that warrant further research.

scholarly journals Long-term site fidelity and residency patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Tramandaí Estuary, southern Brazil

10.5597/00224 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Baron Di Giacomo ◽  
Paulo Henrique Ott
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Photo Identification ◽  
Average Observation ◽  
Number Of Individuals

The occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Tramandaí Estuary, southern Brazil, is described based on a photo-identification study conducted between January 2009 and February 2010. A total of 128 survey days were conducted with an average observation effort of 2.6 hours per day (SD = 0.6). Approximately 2050 photographs were taken from a shore land location at the mouth of the estuary. A total of nine dolphins were identified, including three calves. The dolphins were observed during all seasons, with a greater frequency during fall (79.3% of the days) and winter (60.7% of the days). The summer presented the lowest occurrence (2.4% of the days) of dolphins. During the entire study period, the maximum number of individuals sighted in any given day ranged from one to seven (average = 2.8 dolphins; SD = 1.35; n = 51). The residence indices, based on the resighting frequency of dolphins during the study period, ranged from 0.02 to 0.24 (average = 0.13; SD = 0.08; n = 9). However, most of the animals (67%) were resighted in over five months during a year and could be classified as residents. Longterm site fidelity was detected by resightings of four dolphins for over 18 years. These data combined reinforce the importance of the Tramandaí Estuary for the common bottlenose dolphins in the region and highlight the need for local conservation efforts to guarantee the long-term persistence of these coastal populations.

scholarly journals Activity, Social Relationships, and Maternal Care in a Bottlenose Dolphin Group under Professional Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-286
Author(s):  
Lisa K. Lauderdale ◽  
Lance J. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
High Association ◽  
Maternal Behaviors ◽  
Professional Care ◽  
Simple Ratio ◽  
Group Compositions

Defining the activity patterns and social relationships of animals can provide valuable information related to animal welfare. Bottlenose dolphins under professional care engage in a variety of social and solitary activities, which may be influenced by conspecifics, time of day, and maternal behaviors. This study examined the social, solitary, and maternal behaviors of eight dolphins at one zoological facility. Data about social and solitary behaviors, nursing occurrences, and mother–calf pair swimming were collected five days per week over a ten-month period. The simple ratio index was used to calculate association rates for all dyads. Affiliative behaviors were the dominant behavior class and all behavior categories and swim states showed temporal oscillations throughout the day. The high association values within the mother–calf dyads suggested these ties remain strong through the second and third years of life. Preferred associates remained the same for some individuals in both social group compositions, while they differed for others. However, no large reductions in associations were recorded, suggesting strong relationships in the subgroups continued when other individuals were present. Examining sociality and activity levels may be a useful tool in continuing to improve welfare as they may be related to social groupings and environmental factors.

scholarly journals The Development of Echolocation in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer H. Harder ◽  
Heather M. Hill ◽  
Kathleen M. Dudzinski ◽  
Karissa T. Sanabria ◽  
Sara Guarino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Behavioral Observations ◽  
Sonar System ◽  
Social Grouping ◽  
The Social ◽  
Click Train

This study aimed to expand on previous efforts to evaluate the ontogeny of echolocation in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Data consisted of echolocation recordings and concurrent behavioral observations taken from one calf in 2000 and from five additional dolphin calves and their mothers in 2002 housed at the U.S. Naval facility in San Diego, CA. A total of 361 echolocation click train samples from calves were recorded weekly over the first 6 months of the calves’ lives. The earliest calf echolocation train was recorded at 22 days postpartum and the number of echolocation attempts from calves increased steadily with age. Calf echolocation trains increased in duration and the number of clicks per train with age while train density (clicks/sec) and interclick interval values remained more consistent. Calves swimming independent of their mothers produced more click trains, especially when multiple calves were present in the social grouping. When considering these results in the context of possible maturation of a calf’s melon physiology, it seems very likely that the first two months of life are critical for the development of echolocation and related behaviors. While the first click train recorded in this sample was approximately 3 weeks of age by two different calves, it is possible that dolphin calves may innately produce functional sonar clicks immediately after birth, which were not captured in the current study. Future research will need to investigate this possibility using more controlled conditions and a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the sonar system of neonates as well as the possible role of the mother in echolocation development.

scholarly journals Seasonal, Diel, and Age Differences in Activity Budgets of a Group of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Under Professional Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel T. Walker ◽  
Lance J. Miller ◽  
Stan A. Kuczaj II ◽  
Moby Solangi
Keyword(s):  
High Intensity ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Activity Budgets ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Professional Care ◽  
One Year

Wild bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behavior is impacted by a number of factors including season, time of day, and age. However, less is known about how these factors may influence animals under professional care in zoos, aquariums and marine parks. Management practices such as scheduled feeding times, human interactions, lack of predators and show performances may also impact the activity budgets of dolphins. The current study examined the rest, swim and play behavior of seven dolphins (three adults, four calves) at one facility. Data were collected over the entire 24-hour day for a period of one year. Observed behaviors were recorded in mutually exclusive categories including rest, low intensity swim, high intensity swim, low intensity play, high intensity play and social play. Data were analyzed to determine how often dolphins engaged in particular behaviors and if activity budgets varied due to season, time of day and age. These dolphins spent the majority of their time in low intensity swim and low intensity play. The activity budget varied between observational periods. First, seasonal differences were found in low intensity swim, low intensity play, social play and high intensity play behaviors. In the comparison for time of day, differences were found in rest, low intensity swim, low intensity play and social play. Finally, no significant differences were found in age comparisons. Information gained from this study can help to better understand how different factors influence the behavior of bottlenose dolphins under professional care within zoos, aquariums and marine parks.

scholarly journals Saliva and Blood Cortisol Measurement in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Methodology, Application, and Limitations

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Daniela Rickert ◽  
Ralph Simon ◽  
Lorenzo von Fersen ◽  
Katrin Baumgartner ◽  
Thomas Bertsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Laboratory Method ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Saliva Cortisol ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
The Right

A central task of zoos and aquaria is the frequent and accurate assessment of their animals’ welfare. Recently, important steps have been made, such as the introduction of animal welfare evaluation tools and welfare decision trees. To determine animal welfare, it is not only important to collect life history data, such as longevity and reproductive success, but also for experienced observers or caretakers to conduct behavioral observations on a regular basis to assess animals’ emotional state. To physiologically validate welfare observations, glucocorticoid levels are usually assessed, as they are a common indicator of stress. While, for many animals, these levels can be easily determined via fecal or hair samples, for cetaceans, the levels are usually determined via blood samples. As blood samples cannot be taken very frequently and the process may cause stress to the animals (if the samples are not taken following medical training), other techniques, such as the measurement of health biomarkers (especially cortisol, which can be measured in saliva), have become the focus of cetacean stress research. However, there are two problems associated with saliva measurements in cetaceans: saliva might either be diluted with pool water or be contaminated by fodder fish, as frozen fish usually contains high levels of cortisol. In our study, we investigated how saliva cortisol levels are connected to blood cortisol levels and how saliva cortisol can be influenced by fodder fish. We examined saliva and blood samples in eleven bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) kept in an outdoor and indoor facility in Germany. Furthermore, we assessed the cortisol levels of different kinds of fodder fish. Our data show that, although saliva cortisol values are elevated under stress and arousal, they seem not to be correlated with blood cortisol values. We also show that, after feeding, saliva cortisol values are increased up to 100-fold. Our results suggest that saliva cortisol measurements in dolphins have to be conducted and considered with care, as they can easily be contaminated. Moreover, it is important to use the right laboratory method in order to specifically detect cortisol; in our study, we conducted reliable tests, using LC-MS/MS.

Seasonal Abundance and Site Fidelity of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Mississippi Sound

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie W. Hubard ◽  
Kathy Maze-Foley ◽  
Keith D. Mullin ◽  
William W. Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Mississippi Sound

Whale Poaching Detection Based on Microscopic Characteristics of Bottlenose Dolphins’ (Tursiops truncatus) Bone Fragments

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 519-528
Author(s):  
Manuela Zadravec ◽  
Zvonimir Kozarić ◽  
Snježana Kužir ◽  
Mario Mitak ◽  
Tomislav Gomerčić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Bone Fragments

Preliminary Analysis of the Proteome of Exhaled Breath Condensate in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don R. Bergfelt ◽  
John Lippolis ◽  
Michel Vandenplas ◽  
Sydney Davis ◽  
Blake A. Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Exhaled Breath Condensate ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Breath Condensate

Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Increase Number of Whistles When Feeding

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez ◽  
Sarah C. Stienessen
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins
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