Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Turiops truncatus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia- The organisms in this kingdom lack a cell wall, are multicellular, and are heterotrophs (rely on other organisms for nourishment).
Phylum Chordata- Animals in this phylum have a digestive system, exoskeleton, and bilateral symmetry.
Sub phylum Vertebrata- In the sub phylum Vertebrata the animals have a large digestive system, 2-4 chambered, and muscles.
Class Mammalia- Animals in this class have a four-chambered heart, can separate food and air in there throat, and have a lower jaw the is one piece.
Order Cetacea- Mammals in this order have a basically hairless body, layer of blubber, reproductive organs, and a chambered stomach.
Family Delphinidae- Animals in this family usually have curved fins, are very intelligent, able to adapt quickly and flexibly in different situation.
Genus Turiops- This genus only includes the bottlenosed dolphin.
Speices- Turiops truncatus
General Description
Weight: Dolphins on average weigh 14-20 kg at birth, adult males weight about 500 kg,adult females weight about 250 kg.
Color: Dolphins are black to light gray on their sides, white on their bellies, and occasionally with a slight pink hue.
Natural range: Bottle-nosed dolphins can be found in the Indian ocean, Atlantic ocean, Pacific ocean, Mediterranean sea.
Diet: Inshore bottle-nosed dolphins eat fish and invertebrates near shore, deep water dolphins eat squid and pelagic fish, Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins eat croakers, spot fish, sliver perch, South African dolphins eat mass-bankers, olive grunters, Pandora. They get their food by using ecolocation calls to stun their prey.
Habitat description: Bottle-nosed dolphins can be found everywhere but polar waters. Bottle-nosed dolphins are in bays, open shorelines, and estuarine rivers. Also bottle-nosed dolphins live in water from 50 and 90 degrees.
Predators: Dolphins have some predtors such as larger sharks like tiger sharks, and dusky sharks. Also, stringrays recently have been causing deaths to bottle-nosed dolphins.
Life spand:male dolphin can live around 40-45 years, female dolphins can live 50 or sometimes over 50 years.
Jumping Out
Areas of Living
Pod of dolphins
Physical Adaptations
Behavorial Adaptations
References
References
Armstrong, M. (2007). Dolphin. In Wildlife and plants: [Cricket to earwig] (3rd ed., Vol. 5, pp. 298-299). New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Bottlenose dolphin. (1996-2015). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from National Geographic website: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin/
Burton, M. (2002). Bottle-nosed-dolphin. In International wildlife encyclopedia (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 266-268). New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Jenkins, J. 2009. "Tursiops truncatus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 11, 2015 at http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tursiops_truncatus/