Spyhop Log: Neonate Photos From January 31st

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

The neonate with his/her presumed mom and, below, alone. You can see how he/she is darker and still has the fetal folds. Like us, they don't fit in the womb without curling up and the light fold lines are from that bending. The lines gradually disappear. When born their dorsal fin is also floppy in order to get through the birth canal more easily. If you look carefully at the top picture, you will see another dolphin directly underneath the infant. Interesting image.

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

In the picture below, which I think is very cute, you can see how short the newborn's rostrum is. You can also see the eye beyond the line of the mouth. I love the water that looks like it is coming off the dorsal fin and the little bit of moisture rising above his/her blowhole. Notice also that the upper and lower jaw are the same length, whereas an adult dolphin has a pronounced under bite. Quite possibly the even jaw line facilitates nursing.

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

Photo by Keith Rittmaster
These two photos show the neonate traveling between two adult dolphins and so close to the adult that is probably mom.This will be a long relationship with an extended period of nursing and lots of learning. If the neonate is a female, she might well return to this same group of females to raise her own young.