| Facts about the Porpoise | Interesting facts and information about Porpoises | |
| Facts & Info About the Porpoise
Increase your knowledge of Facts about the Porpoise with some brief, but essential information & fast facts about this popular animal. Important facts, data and info containing details of the description, name origins and habitat of Porpoise. Details of the size, height and weight. Where they live and what they eat! Discover what their lives are like! A mixture of Factual information together with cool, fun, strange, amazing, weird and even funny facts about Porpoise. A detailed Fact Sheet covering a whole host of topics and Porpoise facts! Have Fun! | | Facts about
Porpoise ! |
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Description of the Porpoise
The Porpoise is described as a marine cetacean mammal (of the order cetacea), such as the Harbor porpoise, of the family Phocaena, related to the whales and the dolphin. The term cetacean includes all 76 known species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Those more than 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) long are generally referred to as whales, whereas smaller species are known as dolphins or porpoises. The porpoise has a blunt snout, many teeth and a triangular dorsal fin. The Porpoise is also called the sea hog.
The origins of the name come from the Middle English word 'porpeis' meaning sea-pig - hence its alternative name of sea hog! Echlocation
Echolocation - All porpoises can see, however as visibility is restricted underwater they have developed the use of a sonar system called 'echolocation' to find food when navigating and hunting for food. Their clicks make high-frequency sounds, and the echoes of these sounds bounce back which enables them to make a mental map. Using this mental map they are able to avoid the smallest of obstacles whilst locating their prey. In just a split second Echlocation enables them to determine the size of objects, their location, how fast they are Differences between the Dolphin and the Porpoise
The Dolphin and the Porpoise are two different types of mammals: - Dolphins are larger, more streamlined and acrobatic
- Porpoises are smaller and stockier with triangular dorsal fins or no dorsal fins at all
- The dolphin dorsal fin is larger and more curved
- Dolphins have a 'beak'
- Porpoises are 'beakless', with a rounded snout
- Dolphins travel in larger groups than porpoises
- Dolphins produce sounds that humans can hear
- Porpoises communicate at frequencies beyond the range of human hearing
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Species of the Porpoise
There are six different species of Porpoise:- Phocoena spinipinnis - Burmeister's porpoises - named by the German biologist Burmeister
- Phocoenoides dalli - Dall's porpoises - named after the zoologist W. H. Dall
- Neophocaena phocaenoides - Finless porpoises - named by Cuvier
- Phocoena phocoena - Harbor porpoises - named by Linnaeus
- Australophocaena dioptrica - Spectacled porpoises - first described by the Argentinian naturalist Lahille
- Phocoena sinus - Vaquita Porpoises - first described by American biologists Norris and McFarland
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Facts about where Porpoises live and what they eat!
Porpoise are native to Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The common habitat is in oceans, shallow waters and estuaries
The diet of Porpoise consist of fish, shrimp, prawns, octopus and squid
| Basic Facts about PorpoisesThe name of a male is referred to as a male
The name of a female is referred to as a female
The name or offspring, or a baby Porpoise, is a calf
The average size of a litter is one
The collective name for a group of Porpoise is a Pod
The sound made by a Porpoise is referred to as a click Facts about the Averages Size of the Male Porpoise
The smallest are Harbor porpoise which are 1.8 metres long and weigh about 90 kilograms. |
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| Cool and Fun Facts about the Porpoise
Some fascinating information & facts about the Porpoise - find our what a Tubercle, Pod, a Rostrum, a Melon, Blubber, Flukes and Blowholes are! A group of porpoise is called a Pod Their snouts, or beaks, are called the Rostrum The Fatty tissue below a porpoises's skin helps to keep it warm and is called Blubber Fins - the Pectoral Fins are used for stopping and steering and found on either side of the body Fins - the Flukes are used for propelling through water and are located on the tail Tubercles - Where the porpoise has no dorsal fin on its back it has a small ridge beginning just back from the blowhole and extending to the tail flukes; this ridge is covered in small circular bumps known as tubercles This is a hole at the top of a porpoise's head called a Blowhole which is used for breathing and making sounds
| What does that word mean??
Some fascinating information & facts about the words that are often used to describe animals! Read the facts and information and decide how Porpoises should be described!- What is a Mammal?
- What is a Vertebrate?
- A Vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone which consists of ring-like bones, called vertebrae, that protect the soft spinal cord
- What is an Invertebrate?
- An Invertebrate animal does not have a backbone. They are also cold-blooded which means their body temperature changes according to the environment environment
- What is a Carnivore?
- A Carnivore is an animal which eats mainly meat
- What is a Herbivore?
- A Herbivore is an animal which eats mainly plants and grass
- What is an Omnivore?
- An Omnivore is an animal which eats both meat and plants
- What is an Amphibian?
- An Amphibian is an animal spend part of its life under water (breathing with gills) and the remainder on land (breathing with lungs)
Some fascinating information & facts about the words that are often used to describe animals! Read the information and decide how Porpoises should be described! |
Endangered Species
Wild life experts consider that some Porpoises are an endangered species
An endangered species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Causes of a species of animal becoming endangered are due to Habitat Destruction such as the rainforest, introduction of exotic species, disease, water pollution, global warming and over exploitation of natural resources. As people are made aware of the facts about endangered species, initiatives such as Recycling are increasing in popularity. Endangered Species Organizations are dedicated to saving and preserving the world's most endangered wildlife. Interesting facts about Endangered Species.
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Porpoise Facts and Information about Porpoise
We hope that the selection of Facts about the Porpoise has provided you with the information you have been searching for! A mixture of Factual information together with cool, fun, strange, amazing, weird and even funny facts about this amazing animal. A detailed Fact Sheet covering a whole host of topics information and facts about Porpoises. We believe that the concise and fun facts provided are full of interesting information about this popular animal! The internet is a great resource for information - you don't even need to go to the library to get fast facts about Porpoises! No more fines - just select a topic - read it, get your facts and then throw it away - better still create your own folder, or book, of interesting information about the Porpoise! Great for homework, or projects, an ideal Educational Resource for facts about the Porpoise!
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