Bottlenose dolphin
A bottlenose dolphin is a kind of dolphin. The name "bottlenose" comes from its snout being shaped like a bottle. It breathes a hole on top of its head. It is intelligent, and its brain is large. Bottlenose dolphins are closely related to porpoises. They are skilled and accurate hunters which eat small fish.
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| Bottlenose dolphin leaping in the bow wave of a boat | |
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| Genus: | Tursiops
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| Tursiops truncatus | |
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| Bottlenose dolphin range (in blue) | |
Bottlenose dolphins are grey, with dark grey near their blowhole (the small hole on the top of their head for breating). They are light grey on their belly. This is called countershading: it makes them less easy to see.
When it is grown up, it is about 2 to 4 meters (6.6 to 13.1ft) and about 150 to 650 kilograms (330 1430lb). The males are a usually a bit bigger than females. Dolphins which live in warm places are smaller than dolphins that live in cold places.
Bottlenose Dolphin Media
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, T. aduncus
Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii
The fossil species Tursiops osennae
Bottlenose dolphin head, showing rostrum and blowhole
Dolphin and a paddler at Dalkey Island
Bottlenose dolphin responding to human hand gestures
Mother and juvenile bottlenose dolphins head to the seafloor
An adult female bottlenose dolphin with her young, Moray Firth, Scotland
A bottlenose dolphin attacks and kills a harbour porpoise at Chanonry Point, Scotland
At Notojima Aquarium, Japan
References
- ↑ Hammond, P.S.; Bearzi, G.; Bjørge, A.; Forney, K.A.; Karkzmarski, L.; Kasuya, T.; Perrin, W.F.; Scott, M.D.; Wang, J.Y.; Wells, R.S.; Wilson, B. (2012). "Tursiops truncatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2012: e.T22563A17347397. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T22563A17347397.en. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
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Wikispecies has information on: Tursiops truncatus. |