Q1) How do I tell a male dolphin from a female one?
A1) Probably the most common question I get asked. There are 2 waysof determining the sex of a dolphin. The most obvious way is to take apeek under the peduncle (the long part of the body connected to the tailflukes). On the dolphin's belly, directly opposite the dorsal fin, willbe the umbilicus, or the navel of the dolphin. Looking further down towardsthe tail, you start to see the differences. Male dolphins have two separateslits for the penis (the urogenital opening) and the anus. These are separatedby a bridge of skin. The male's urogenital opening is generally locatedfurther up the belly, towards the navel. Females, on the other fin, have one continuous larger slit, the anuslocated at the end of it. On either side of the genital slit, you willfind two smaller slits; these are the mammary slits, where the nipplesof the dolphin are kept for feeding the calves. The slit is also locatedcloser to the tail stock of the dolphin. The other way to determine thesex of a dolphin, if you can't reach their belly, is to look at their mellon,or head. The males tend to have a fatter, rounder mellon, while the femalesare more sleek and streamlined.
