New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Short communication
Birth demographics of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in
Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand--preliminary findings
PATTI A. HAASE+
KARSTEN SCHNEIDER
Department of Marine Science
University of Otago
P. O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
email: sailaway lll@hotmail.com
Abstract Bottlenose dolphins (
Tursiops truncatus
Montagu) in Doubtful Sound (45deg.30[[minute]]S, 167deg.00[[minute]]E), New
Zealand, live at the southern extreme of the species' worldwide range.
Demographics of this population were observed from 1994 to 1999. Sixteen of 18
live births occurred from December to February. This is a short birthing period
for bottlenose dolphins; populations in tropical regions calve during 10-12
months of the year. Nine calves were born to a population of 65 animals in
1999, a birth rate (13.8%) twice that of the average for 1995-97 (5.6%).
Average calving interval during the observation period was 3 years (SD = 1.15)
with a range of 2-5 years. Apparent survival rate of calves to Year 1 was
80.0%. Birth rate, calving interval, and mortality of calves are comparable to
other bottlenose populations worldwide. Parturition appears to become strongly
seasonal with increasing latitude in bottlenose dolphin populations.
Keywords bottlenose dolphin; Tursiops truncatus;
Doubtful Sound; demographics; reproduction
+Reprint requests to: Dr S. Dawson
M99053
Received
30 September 1999; accepted 19 February 2001
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (408K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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