Dolphin Facts
Dream Catcher Charters
Dolphins are mammals, not fish
 Scientists
believe that dolphins rank among the most intelligent animals
Scientists classify dolphins as a group of cetaceans called toothed
whales
Dolphins have a beaklike snout and cone-shaped teeth
Dolphins breathe through a blowhole on top of the head
Dolphins use their flippers to make sharp turns and sudden stops
Dolphins are found in nearly all oceans
Dolphins do not usually dive deeply, though they have the ability to do so
Most
species of dolphins live at least to 25 years of age
Dolphins cannot live long out of water because their bodies overheat
Dolphins communicate via a series of whistles and clicks called
phonations
Most
dolphins mate in spring and early summer
Males
are called bulls, and the females are called cows
Courtship behavior may involve bumping heads
The
pregnancy period for most species of dolphins lasts from 10 to 12 months
The
females almost always give birth to one baby, called a calf, at a
time
A
newborn dolphin is about a third as long as its mother
Immediately after birth, the calf swims to the surface for its first
breath of air
Females nurse and protect their young for more than a year
Male
dolphins take no part in caring for the young
There
are 32 species of marine dolphins; the bottle-nosed is the best known
Its
short beak gives this dolphin an expression that looks like a smile
Most
performing dolphins in aquariums and zoos are bottle-nosed dolphins
Bottle-nosed
dolphins can measure 13 feet and can weigh as much as 600
lbs.
Bottle-nosed
dolphins are gray, but their backs are darker than their
undersides
Bottle-nosed dolphins show apparent great friendliness toward people
Bottle-nosed dolphins, living in groups of about 12, play and hunt food
together
Bottle-nosed dolphins live in tropical waters and stay within 100 miles of
land |
