Sexual Behaviors of Odontocetes in Managed Care

A number of odontocete species have been cared for by humans for multiple decades, including but not limited to pilot whales, killer whales, Commerson’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins (Indo-Pacific and common), and beluga whales (or white whales). Because many of these were breeding, numerous reproductive behaviors have been observed, documented, and investigated in detail. Similarly, sociosexual behaviors exchanged between nonreproductive partners have been examined. This chapter summarizes what has been learned regarding the role of hormones in sexual behavior, seasonality of sexual behavior, reproductive courtship behavior and displays, copulation, non-conceptive sexual behavior, development, social bonds, same-sex interactions, and interspecies interactions. We provide insight to the behavioral systems involved with both reproduction and social bonding for odontocetes. This chapter concludes with areas of future research that have been informed and should continue to be informed by knowledge of odontocete sexual behavior gained from managed care facilities.