Why are porpoises and dolphins are the same

Cetacean species are divided into two groups. The main differences with porpoises are that they are usually smaller than other toothed whales and instead of cone-shaped teeth they have flat, spade-shaped teeth. Additionally, ALL baleen whales have two blowholes whereas toothed whales only have one. The biggest difference is size, with all species of porpoise being that much smaller than their dolphin cousins. Porpoises don't have the pronounced beak that most, but not all dolphins have and they also have different shaped teeth.

Porpoise teeth are spade-shaped whilst dolphins are conical. Dolphins are also more "talkative" than porpoises. Dolphins and porpoises also have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. As research evolves, it is likely that more or perhaps fewer differences between dolphins and porpoises will be revealed. Thanks for the great Wonder, Ayannah! Hi, Judy! Thanks for visiting! Yes, they are! Hi, Jaybriel! We love you enthusiasm for dolphins. Explore some of these Wonders to learn more about dolphins.

We hope you liked this Wonder. What did you learn were the differences between the two? Thanks for sharing, Madison! That was probably a great experience. We bet you learned a lot, too. We love when we're learning and having fun, all at the same time! We think that is awesome that you get to work with dolphins! We're sure that there are many members of our community that would like to learn more about your work.

Thanks for sharing! Hi Kevin! We wish we were there to see the awesome dolphin or porpoise with you, but we don't know for sure which creature it was. Perhaps you can do some research of your own with the help of your local library! Thanks for jumping in the conversation, Madison!

Maybe talking about dolphins reminded her of being at the zoo where she saw giraffes. WOW, how neat, Rebecca! That sounds like a totally zoo-tacular experience! Thanks for telling us about your connection to this Wonder. We wonder what the giraffes ate? Thanks for joining the discussion, Angel!

You're right. The dolphin fish is referred to as Mahi Mahi sometimes, but it's different than a dolphin.

Hi there, Charlie! We are so glad you learned something new about the difference between dolphins and porpoises! They are similar in many ways, but they are very different in size! Charlie, A dolphin is a mammal. Mahi Mahi is a fish called the dolphin fish.

What you eat in a restaurant is not the mammal, that would be illegal. We are indeed seeing dolphins, the mammal, as we rarely see the porpoise. Thank you for the additional information, Rod! We think your adventure to the Bahamas sounds super cool!

We Wonder if you have seen our dolphin Wonder Great question, Wonder Friend L! We will give you a clue: the two animals are different when it comes to size and how they live. We Wonder if you can go back to the article and find what those differences are! Hi there, B. Thanks for stopping by this Wonder and also for letting us know you love dolphins!

You are lucky to have been able to spend time with a dolphin up close, Megan! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together.

We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. What's the difference between dolphins and porpoises? Are dolphins and porpoises fish? Are dolphins or porpoises more likely to be the stars of marine shows? Tags: See All Tags communication , day , dolphin , echolocation , family , Oceans , order , porpoise , sound , suborder , world. Wonder What's Next? Try It Out One of the ways humans know dolphins are quite intelligent is how they use sounds to communicate with each other.

If you're interested in dolphin communication, you can also check out these interesting videos: " Wild dolphins yelling at me! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. Wonder Words conserve aquatic mammal dolphin porpoise untrained characteristics similar lungs gills order suborder family echolocate subtle snout marine Take the Wonder Word Challenge.

Join the Discussion. Fynnian Mar 21, Mar 21, Wonder Friend Aug 31, Sep 10, On average, porpoises, which are more darkly-colored than dolphins, are between 5 and 8 feet long. Both species breathe air from blowholes at the top of their head.

And, like almost all mammals, they give live birth to their young and nurse their offspring. Dolphins and porpoises even have hair, but nearly all of it is lost shortly after birth.

Of the three types of fins found on dolphins and porpoises, only the pectoral fins flippers , which are used for stopping and steering underwater, contain bones. These fins actually contain the same number of bones as a human arm and end in five digits that are structured similarly to fingers. Scientists theorize that these bones come from dolphins' and porpoises' land-dwelling ancestors some 50 million years ago. Beyond the pectoral fins, the dorsal, or back, fin provides stability as the dolphin and porpoise move quickly through water up to 25 mph.

This dorsal fin, along with the tail flukes, is made of collagen, a fibrous connective tissue similar to cartilage. Both dolphins and porpoises use echolocation for navigating underwater, finding food, avoiding predators, and communicating with other members of their species. The small external ear opening is about two inches behind the eye in both animals.

Neither dolphins nor porpoises rely much on their sense of smell. Vocalizations are more extensive and frequent with dolphins, and can travel longer distances than those recorded for porpoises. Males of both species have two genital openings on their ventral side, while females have four: two for their sex organs and two for lactation, with teats found inside the body.

Mating seasons for both species tend to be short, with dominant males having multiple mates. Pair bonding is more frequently observed in dolphins, often for life. Gestation periods are very similar, between 7 and 12 months, with calves born, though most often only one. Calves are weaned after about a year. Dolphins tend to live in pods, or groups, of up to a dozen individuals. Where food is abundant, "superpods" exceeding 1, dolphins have been observed.

Dolphins coordinate hunts and communicate for other reasons by combining whistles, clicks, and ultrasonic sounds. Porpoises are relatively shy and are seen alone or in groups containing a few individuals. They are rarely in large pods.

Their grouping behavior does not result in stable associations, but ephemeral relationships that change as individuals join or leave.