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Fascinating Facts About Dolphins
by Joshua Plansden
http://www.adolphinsfan.com
A lot of people consider dolphins to be one amongst the fish
- as they swim in the water. But in reality unlike fish who
lay eggs, dolphins are warm-blooded mammals that give birth
to baby dolphins and breathe air. There are many more unique
characteristics that make dolphins an interesting creature
on the earth.
If you happen to experience dolphins from close ranges, then
you will be aware of their unique characteristics for which
they are famous. Dolphins are cetaceans like the whales and
are placed along with whales in the group called
odontocetes, since they have teeth. However, some Whales do
not have teeth for feeding and are placed under the group
mysticetes.
Dolphins live in tropical and warm waters. Many people are
unaware of the fact that rivers and freshwaters are also
home to few species of dolphins. These dolphins are however
endangered and exist in very few numbers.
Fifty-seven different species of dolphin make up the
world's population today. Dolphins have sleek bodies and
their noses, called "rostrum", are long and beak-like. Many
of us think that dolphins and porpoises are related, when
in fact they are not. One thing that makes them different
is their teeth. As mentioned the dolphin's are cone shaped
and the porpoise have teeth that look more like spades.
This enables them to dig for food among rock. The other
major difference is the fact that porpoise are able to live
in water that's colder than a dolphin can even tolerate.
Orcas are the most easily identified and best known
dolphin. They are more commonly known as killer whales.
People tend to think of the Orca as among the most violent
and frightening sea animals. This is probably due to the
fact that they are large and seem fearless in the water.
Dolphins have a long gestation period when it comes to the
birth cycle of their young. The female dolphin will be
pregnant for twelve months after which time she will give
birth to one baby dolphin, called a "calf". Most baby calves
will weight about 30 to 40 pounds and will be approximately
30 inches long. The mother dolphin will nurse her calf for
the first two years of its life.
Young dolphins tend to stay close to their mothers for
around five to seven years, which is a very long time when
compared to other animals. In other animal species, the
siblings leave the mother very soon after birth and are on
their own. The young dolphins while staying with their
mothers learn the nuances on how to pull on with the other
dolphins and also how and where to look for their food.
Dolphins live in groups known as "pods" and travel
together. The females interact with the young, while the
males keep more to themselves and don't participate in
parenting.
The dolphin continues to be one of the most fascinating
animals in the world. This has a large part to do with its
intelligence and incredible curiosity. These animals love to
interact with man whenever they can, chirping in their
native dolphin tongue about events in the water that we'll
never understand.
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