DOLPHIN

A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea.

The fusiform anatomy of the dolphins is totally adapted to inhabit the water. Their
sizes range from two to nine meters long, and they can swim really fast.

Dolphins have a caudal fin located in their tails , which they employ ​for propulsion.
They also have some pectoral fins which they employ to maintain the directional
control of their swim.
The common dolphins are characterized by having a gray skin, with the lightest
tones on their belly and the darkest ones on their back. Some species also have
lines or spots.

Another distinctive feature of these creatures, is their capability to renew their skin
every two hours, which allows them to move faster.
The snout of the dolphins is elongated , as well as their jaws, which are made up
of 20 to 50 teeth.

On the other hand, the dolphins have a single hole located on the top of the
head, known as spiracle or blowhole; which they employ to breathe.
In relation to the brain, it can be said that it is large, and its
weight ranges between 1500 to 1600 grams compared to the human
brain that only weighs about 1200 or 1300 grams.
The dolphins are one of the most intelligent mammals, due to the fact
that they have a fairly developed cerebral cortex, compared to the
average of the rest of mammals.

A curious fact about this subject, is that when they are sleeping, one
half of the brain remains awake, which allows them to continue
breathing. This results in them sleeping with one eye open, while the
other remains closed.
On the other hand, in relation to the blood of this animal, it can be said that
it has an internal temperature of 36 degrees. This is because they are
surrounded by a thick layer of fat under their skin, which helps them
withstand the low temperatures of the water in winter. Therefore, they tend
to feed in greater quantity, during this season.

As far as their senses, they have a very acute and developed auditory sense,
and their vision is much better, than what is expected for an animal that
employs echolocation to perceive their environment, especially its colors ,
which they perceive in limited way.
Dolphins are also characterized by living in herds, which in most cases reach
the amount of 1000 animal. For this reason this type of communication is
efficient.

In this way they can recognize each other, and develop some kind of
communication together.
Besides the communication based on vocalizations, dolphins
recurrently produce dances and jumps also for purposes of
communications.

Dolphins are also characterized by keeping in touch with the other

members of their groups, and most of the activities they carry out are
performed in such way. This is reflected in different stages of their
lives.
To obtain food they maintain teamwork strategies, that allow them to
obtain better results.

They also tend to form groups to take care of the mother and the
offspring, in the case of childbirth. ,
Even if a dolphin is dying, the other members of its herd, help it to
stand on the surface and breathe more easily.
HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION

Dolphins have a worldwide distribution, as they inhabit all the oceans and
seas of the world except the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Most species are
concentrated in temperate and tropical areas although they dwell from the
equator to the subpolar regions.
Obviously, the distribution and habitat are different for each dolphin
species, but usually, they avoid extreme cold waters, so they are not found
in the polar zones.

Dolphins are found living in bodies of water around the world. They inhabit
all of the oceans and some important rivers. Most of them live in saltwater,
but a few species thrive in freshwater.
The Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans
and their seas host a large number of
dolphin species since they prefer tropical,
subtropical and warm waters.
Diet
These animals are carnivores and they possess different hunting
tactics, another characteristic that makes them absolutely wonderful
creatures.
Dolphin feeding
Here, in a nutshell, is what a dolphin eats:
Pisces
Octopus
Squid
Crustaceans
Turtles
Cod
Herring
Sardines
Mackerel
Some crabs
Thanks for
your
attention!