What is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise?

Answer 1

Dolphin

Closely related to porpoises, dolphins are much larger and have many more subspecies. Dolphins' teeth are not spade-shaped at all, being more cone-like.

Dolphins, along with bonobos, are some of the only animals known to have sex for reasons other than reproduction. They are more easily trained than porpoises, and more popular in zoos and so forth for that reason.

They are considered the most intelligent of the animals and are more prevalent in human culture than porpoises.

There has been reports of dolphins eating porpoises.

Porpoise

Porpoises are members of the family Phocoenidae, with spade-shaped teeth and six species in the family. They are smaller and stouter than dolphins, and raise their young faster than dolphins do. Unlike dolphins, they lack beaks. Porpoises acclimate to tank life less well than dolphins. Porpoises are not commonly seen in popular culture, they are also known to be gentler than dolphins.

Answer 2

Some Differences between dolphins and porpoises are: A dolphin usually has a pointed snout, while a porpoise has a snout that is short and blunt. A dolphin's leading edge on the dorsal fin is curved, while a porpoises back fin is straight. Dolphins have pointed cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have flat, spade shaped, with upper edges that are long and sharp. Dolphins usually grow up to 12 feet while porpoises usually are less than 7 feet. Dolphins are longer and sleeker in shape, while porpoises are shorter and more compact. dolphins usually live in large groups while porpoises live in pods of 2-4 dolphins can live a lot longer than porpoises ( dolphins can live up to 50 years while porpoises live not to much longer than 15 years) dolphins are a lot more people friendly while porpoises are rather shy, and will most likely not ride along the sides of boats like dolphins. Dolphins produce sounds we can hear while porpoises sounds are inaudible to us. :) :D ; )
Porpoise: Round head, small dorsal fin, round spade-like teeth

Dolphin: Long "bottle nose" mouth, larger dorsal fin, sharp spike shaped teeth
Dolphin

Closely related to porpoises, dolphins are much larger and have many more subspecies. Dolphins' teeth are not spade-shaped at all, being more cone-like.

Dolphins, along with bonobos, are some of the only animals known to have sex for reasons other than reproduction. They are more easily trained than porpoises, and more popular in zoos and so forth for that reason.

They are considered the most intelligent of the animals and are more prevalent in human culture than porpoises.

There has been reports of dolphins eating porpoises.

Porpoise

Porpoises are members of the family Phocoenidae, with spade-shaped teeth and six species in the family. They are smaller and stouter than dolphins, and raise their young faster than dolphins do. Unlike dolphins, they lack beaks. Porpoises acclimate to tank life less well than dolphins. Porpoises are not commonly seen in popular culture, they are also known to be gentler than dolphins.

Answer 3

Whales are bigger then any other species. Dolphins have a bottle-like nose. Porpoises have a much shorter bottle-like nose then a dolphin.

Answer 4

Dolphins and porpoises are different because dolphins have cone-like, triangular teeth, while porpoises have more flat teeth like the molars we have.

Answer 5

all three of these animals are from the same family. but whales are much larger anything under 9 feet is considered a dolphin or porpoise and anything bigger is a species of whale

Answer 6

Strictly speaking, a porpoise has a shorter 'beak' than a dolphin, and flattened, spade like teeth, as opposed to conical teeth in a dolphin.

Answer 7

The difference in dolphins and porpoises is porpoises have a different bill than a dolphin.

Answer 8

Dolphins and porpoises are similar in behavior and overall appearance; they are both cetaceans.