Dolphin (animal) - Information, habitat, types, and characteristics

Dolphin (animal) - Information, habitat, types, and characteristics
Posted on 09-02-2022

Dolphin

We explain everything about dolphins, where they live, what they eat and how they reproduce. Also, what types of dolphins exist.

dolphin

The dolphin is one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

What are dolphins?

Dolphins are cetacean mammals of aquatic life, inhabitants of seas and rivers depending on the species, which are among the most intelligent animal species on the planet.

In general, when we think of dolphins, we refer to the 37 species that make up the oceanic variant (of the family Delphinidae ), which inhabit the sea surface and maintain frequent and friendly relationships with humans, despite the fact that they are often accidental victims. of their commercial and fishing activities.

Dolphins are, from a zoological point of view, little more than toothed whales, that is, marine mammals that returned from the mainland to marine life, sometime in the Miocene, 23 million years ago, when they presented the necessary adaptations evolutionary for it. It is thought that the common ancestor between dolphins and land animals was a species of artiodactyls, that is, prehistoric hippopotamuses.

In most cultures, dolphins are considered friendly and intelligent. In fact,  they are sociable animals, perfectly trainable, which today are a regular part of shows and water parks.

Their presence in ancient mythological stories is common in maritime cultures, such as the Greeks, in which they were said to have been pirates, transformed into fish by the god Dionysus after they tried to sell him as a slave. In his representations of Poseidon, god of the seas, he is often surrounded by seahorses and dolphins.

Dolphin Characteristics

dolphin

Dolphins can form groups of up to 1,000 individuals.

Broadly speaking, dolphins are characterized by the following:

  • They are aquatic mammals, that is, they have a body adapted to water (with fins instead of legs), but at the same time, they breathe the air and have warm blood. They are not fish.
  • They have a torpedo-shaped body, ideal for swimming at high speeds, which begins with a thin, jagged snout, and ends with a powerful tail that has a caudal fin, with which it propels itself.
  • Its skin is grey-blue, darker on the back and lighter on the belly, free of any form of fur. Different species may have characteristic spots and color lines.
  • They have a large brain, with a highly developed cerebral cortex, compared to the average mammal, which allows complex social interaction: play, communicate, teach their young, cooperate, plan and suffer.
  • Since they are capable of establishing strong social bonds, they can be found in large groups of up to 1000 individuals, in which the sick are cared for and cared for.
  • They manage a complex system of echolocation, emitting sounds in a burst to perceive returning echoes, much like radar. In this way, they can perceive potential prey and monitor the environment around them. To do this they have an organ called "melon" on their heads.
  • Dolphins are capable of vocalizing a very wide range of sounds, including whistles and clicks.

Where do the dolphins live?

dolphins

Dolphins prefer the warm waters of the tropics.

Dolphins commonly inhabit the surface regions of seas, rivers, and lakes, depending on the family and the species. They make their entire life in the water, without the need to enter the mainland, and always prefer the warm waters of the tropics and surrounding regions.

What do dolphins eat?

dophine

Dolphins are intelligent hunters who isolate their prey from the school.

Dolphins are carnivorous, their diet consisting of small fish and squid. They are intelligent hunters, who have very varied strategies to isolate their prey from the school or to set up ambushes.

How do dolphins reproduce?

As with mammals in general, dolphins reproduce sexually and viviparously, with internal fertilization of the female by the male.

Coitus occurs from the front, lasts a short time, and is repeated several times, after a courtship in which the male reproduces striking sounds for the female, swimming around her. The gestation of dolphins lasts about a year, although in some species it can last a year and a half, and in the end, there is only one offspring per delivery.

How long do dolphins live?

The life expectancy of dolphins can be around 20 to 30 years and can be extended longer in ideal captive conditions. In the wild, this species does not have large predators or threats.

However, they are threatened by humans, due to environmental contamination by pesticides, heavy metals, and plastics, or accidental fishing in the midst of schools of commercial fish (such as tuna). There are also some countries where the dolphin is part of traditional cuisine, such as Japan and the Faroe Islands.

types of dolphins

dolphins

Oceanic dolphins interact with humans.

There are two "types" of dolphins, with different habitats and different characteristics, since they are two different superfamilies, each one encompassing a different set of species:

  • Oceanic dolphins or dolphins, typical sea dolphins, inhabitants of the coasts that interact a lot with human beings, like the common dolphin in the movies.
  • River dolphins or platanistoidea, inhabitants of estuaries and rivers, with long trunks (almost 60 cm) and smaller body sizes, such as the dolphin or Amazon dolphin.
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