Potential Infanticide Attempt of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) on a Young Calf in a Tropical Caribbean Atoll

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) regularly display agonistic behaviors and aggression toward members of their own species and other species. These interactions are typically not lethal but sometimes involve mortality. Dolphins often direct this aggression toward conspecific calves--ramming, tossi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inAquatic mammals Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 132 - 141
Main Authors Ramos, Eric A, Szczepaniak, Isidore D, Kaplan, J. Daisy, Reiss, Diana
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moline Aquatic Mammals Journal, NFP 01.01.2022
Aquatic Mammals
Subjects
Adults
Aggression
Aggressive behavior
Aggressive behaviour
Animals
Aquatic mammals
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin
Atolls
Behavior
Bottlenosed dolphins
Calves
Cetacea
Conspecifics
Dolphins
Dolphins & porpoises
Infanticide
Infanticide in animals
Males
Mammals
Marine mammals
Observations
Parental behavior in animals
Polar bears
Removal
Species
Tropical climate
Tursiops truncatus
Belize
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) regularly display agonistic behaviors and aggression toward members of their own species and other species. These interactions are typically not lethal but sometimes involve mortality. Dolphins often direct this aggression toward conspecific calves--ramming, tossing, and attempting to submerge them, sometimes intensely enough to cause long-term harm or infanticide--the intentional killing of an infant by conspecifics. Reports of agonistic and infanticidal behavior in multiple populations of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) suggest these behaviors may not be uncommon. Infanticide has evolved in many mammalian species. In marine mammals, while infanticide has been documented in a range of taxa, including polar bears and pinnipeds, it is most often observed in delphinids. Motivators for these agonistic attacks include increased access to sexually reproductive females, removal of competition for resources, and removal of ill and unrelated young.
ISSN:0167-5427
1996-7292
DOI:10.1578/AM.48.2.2022.132