10 DOLPHIN FACTS!
- Nearly 40 species of dolphins swim the waters of the world. Most live in shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans, and five species live in rivers.
- Dolphins are carnivores. Fish, squid and crustaceans are included in their list of prey. A 260-pound dolphin eats about 33 pounds of fish a day.
- Known for their playful behavior, dolphins are highly intelligent. They are as smart as apes, and the evolution of their larger brains is surprisingly similar to humans.
- Dolphins are part of the family of whales that includes orcas and pilot whales. Killer whales are actually dolphins.
- Dolphins are very social, living in groups that hunt and even play together. Large pods of dolphins can have 1,000 members or moretles have existed for around 215 million years..
- Depending on the species, gestation takes nine to 17 months. After birth, dolphins are surprisingly maternal. They have been observed nestling and cuddling their young.
- A dolphin calf nurses for up to two years. Calves stay with the mothers anywhere from three to eight years.
- Dolphins have acute eyesight both in and out of the water. They hear frequencies 10 times the upper limit of adult humans. Their sense of touch is well-developed, but they have no sense of smell.
- Dolphins have few natural enemies. Humans are their main threat. Pollution, fishing and hunting mean some dolphin species have an uncertain future. In 2006, the Yangtze River dolphin was named functionally extinct.
- Because dolphins are mammals, they need to come to the surface of the water to breathe. Unlike land mammals that breathe and eat through their mouths, dolphins have separate holes for each task. Dolphins eat through their mouths and breathe through their blowholes. This prevents the dolphin from sucking up water into the lungs when hunting, reducing the risk of drowning.
5 STATUSES ABOUT DOLPHINS!
- SCIENTIFIC NAME:Tursiops truncatus
- FAMILY NAME:Delphinidae
- ENDANGERED STATUS:LEAST CONCERN
- CLASSIFICATION:Mammals
- LIFE SPAN:20 to 40 years
- HABITAT: OCEAN
3 WAYS YOU CAN PROTECT DOLPHINS!
- Even if you're a big fan of dolphins and would like to see them up close, sea-themed parks and aquatic swim-with-dolphins programs serve to keep dolphins in m captivity, where they experience significantly shorter life spans. Improper physical contact with dolphins can transfer diseases, mak-ing dolphins susceptible to fungal infections and a host of other problems. It's much safer to leave them alone where they can live peacefully and happily.
- Human waste is the number one contributing factor to the degradation of life in the oceans, with 80% of marine pollution originating on land. The impact is enormous, and even something as sim-ple as releasing a helium balloon into the sky can end up contributing the garbage that chokes the dolphin population out. Take steps now to reduce your non-biodegradable garbage.
- Spread the knowledge. The biggest thing you can contribute to the cause of dolphins is your voice. If you care about keeping dolphins safe, shout it from the rooftops and learn everything you can about the dangers that face the dolphin population in your area.