Fun facts

[Lupus]

We've been spelling it wrong, it's "wholphin"

[Izzy]

oops... we'd better fix that, then... good catch lol

[Paleo_Orca]

I got a few

-There are somewhat 80 species of cetaceans
-Other than other primates, dolphins and parrots are considered to be intelligent animals
-Dentists have the highest suicide rate out of any profession, lol

[KtV11]

Dentists really have the highest suicide rate out of any profession? Now I know what I am definately NOT gonna be when I get older ....that is pretty good to know.

Of course dolphins are intelligent , look at all of the neat tricks they can do!! lol ...nice facts, I really enjoyed them

[Izzy]

lol about the dentists... thanks for the fun facts lol... I don't have to worry about being a dentist... I'm gonna be a marine biologist!

[lovelyjolie]

I've heard that psychiatrists actually have the highest suicide rate, followed by dentists. Some studies say different things.

When I was in elementary school, my friend's dad - who was a psychiatrist - committed suicide.

[coral]

Awww....so sorry..


Quote: I've heard that psychiatrists actually have the highest suicide rate, followed by dentists. Some studies say different things.

Lol i wonder why.. hmmm *thinking*

[Leviathan]

FUNKY FACTS-AMERICA

ATLANTA-It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
ARIZONA-In Tombstone, it's illegal for men and women over the age of 18 to have less than one missing tooth visible when smiling.
GEORGIA-In Gainesville, chicken may only legally be eaten using ones fingers instead of cutlery.
MAINE-In Portland, shoelaces must be tied while walking down the street.
MASSACHUSETTS-In Boston, two people may not kiss in front of a church.
NEW JERSEY-In Newark, it is illegal to sell ice-cream after 6 P.M., unless the customer has a note from his doctor.

OTHER PLACES

SWITZERLAND-It is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 P.M. if you live in an apartment.

[Izzy]

Great facts I couldn't stand living in Newark! I need my ice cream lol...

So... this is relevant, I promise: About the wholphin. I just got my hands on a new marine bio book, and it has a section about the wholhin. It has the answer to my question: why is the current one only 1/4 false killer whale, and 3/4 atlantic bottlenosed dolphin?

So, here's what the book says: (I'm going to type it in. Sorry if I make any stupid typos. I'll try to catch them.)

“Sometimes scientists are surprised by new hybrids, such as the hybrid female wholphin born in 1985 at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. The wholphin’s father is a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) and its mother is an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates). What surprised the scientists was that the parents were not just different species but different genera. The scientific name given the wholphin is the Pseudorca x Tursiops, showing that the wholphin is a cross between two genera. A similar hybrid born in Tokyo in 1981 lived only a short time.

When a wholphin was born in Hawaii, no one knew whether it would survive. But it proved healthy, grew rapidly, and soon was trained to perform with other dolphins and whales at Sea Life Park. An even more surprising thing happened in 199o, when the wholphin gave birth to a live 47-lb female calf that looked like its mother. Its father was thought to be an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. But the calf lived only a few days because it did not nurse. Another female calf born the next year was bottle-fed by scientists. She has grown into a healthy animal, over a year old.”

From: “The Living Ocean: Biology and Technology of the Marine Environment, 3rd Edition” by E. Barbara Klemm, S. Arthur Reed, Francis M. Pottenger III, Christine Porter, and Thomas W. Speitel. Published in 1995 by the University of Hawaii. Pages cited: 21-23.

There is then a chart that explains the offspring and its stats. If you want me to put it in a post, let me know. (It’ll take some more doing.)

So that explains how the wholphin mentioned in the article could be ¼ and ¾. That explains a lot. I was really excited to find it, and showed just about everyone! It's completely amazing that the wholphin is viable! That's really cool + (both animals are from family Delphindae) = Wholphin! (and the wholphin can have babies!)

A random question: do you think that every wholphin will be female? Every one that I've found information about is female. It might have something to do with the genes. Or the 4 that we know about were just all females, and maybe males are just as common, but we havn't hit one yet. (Like a family with 7 daughters, then a son...)

So I was really excited about that I hope you guys are too

[coral]

FUNKY FACTS-AMERICA

ATLANTA-It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
ARIZONA-In Tombstone, it's illegal for men and women over the age of 18 to have less than one missing tooth visible when smiling.
GEORGIA-In Gainesville, chicken may only legally be eaten using ones fingers instead of cutlery.
MAINE-In Portland, shoelaces must be tied while walking down the street.
MASSACHUSETTS-In Boston, two people may not kiss in front of a church.
NEW JERSEY-In Newark, it is illegal to sell ice-cream after 6 P.M., unless the customer has a note from his doctor.

OTHER PLACES

SWITZERLAND-It is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 P.M. if you live in an apartment.

LOl wow...are you serious! Interesting really...especially in Switzerland