Maui's Dolphin
Sara Koch
Facts
Maui's dolphins are the smallest and rarest of dolphins with only about 55 remaining in the world. They can grow to be between 4-6 feet long and weight between 95 and 115 pounds. They live off the coast of New Zealand and have a diet consisting of fish and squid. Maui's dolphins are closely related to the Hector's dolphins. They are fast swimmers and only have a small amount of water resistance.
Maui's dolphins are different because they take a very long time to reproduce. They begin reproducing between the ages of 7 and 9, and only produce a calf every 2-4 years. They do not mate for life, but they mate frequently. Their pods have up to five dolphins with females and calves together and males separate from them. Maui's dolphins also have a short lifespan. They only live to about 20 years of age.
The classification order of the Maui's dolphin is: Animalia, chordate, mammalia, cetartiodactyla, delphindae, cephalorhynchus, hectori.
Citations
http://awsassets.wwfnz.panda.org/img/page_10_hector_s_dolphin__c__hedgehoghouse_co_nz_12669.jpg
http://www.hectorsdolphins.com/uploads/9/5/9/0/9590633/1765098_orig.jpg?558
http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/img/maui_dolphin_nz_will_rayment_352389.jpg
http://www.whalefacts.org/mauis-dolphin-facts/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/hectors_dolphin/mauis_dolphin/
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/39427/0
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/dolphins/maui-dolphin/facts/