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Fascinating Facts About Dolphins

Since dolphins swim in the water many people think that they must be fish. However, dolphins are in fact warm-blooded mammals that breathe air and give birth to baby dolphins rather than lay eggs. This fact alone makes dolphins unique creatures, but they also have many more characteristics that make them one of the most interesting animals on the planet.

If you're ever had the opportunity to be near a dolphin you'll understand why they are as unique as they are. Dolphins, just like whales, are considered to be cetaceans and are part of the grouping of whales that are called odontocetes, which means that they have teeth. The teeth found on a dolphin are shaped like cones. Other whales fall into the group called mysticetes, in which case they don't have teeth to use for feeding.

Dolphins live in tropical and warm waters. Many people are unaware of the fact that rivers and freshwaters are also home to few species of dolphins. These dolphins are however endangered and exist in very few numbers.

Fifty-seven different species of dolphin make up the world's population today. Dolphins have sleek bodies and their noses, called "rostrum", are long and beak-like. Many of us think that dolphins and porpoises are related, when in fact they are not. One thing that makes them different is their teeth. As mentioned the dolphin's are cone shaped and the porpoise have teeth that look more like spades. This enables them to dig for food among rock. The other major difference is the fact that porpoise are able to live in water that's colder than a dolphin can even tolerate.

Orcas are the most easily identified and best known dolphin. They are more commonly known as killer whales. People tend to think of the Orca as among the most violent and frightening sea animals. This is probably due to the fact that they are large and seem fearless in the water.

The female Dolphins are very caring mothers. To give birth to a young calf, the female dolphins have a very long gestation period. The female dolphins stay pregnant for 12 months to deliver one young baby. The baby calves on birth are approximately 30 inches long and weigh around 30 - 40 pounds. During the first two years of the life of the calf, the mother dolphin takes a lot of care and nurses the young one.

Even after they're weaned, the dolphin calf will swim and play with its mother for between five and seven years. During this time the young dolphin will learn how to find food and to interact socially with its relatives.

Dolphins live and move around in groups known as "pod". The males stay detached and do not take any interest in parenting. It is the females who rear the siblings and do all the nursing. The female does all the interaction with the calves and males do not involve themselves in community life other than impregnating the females.

Dolphins are amazingly intelligent and curious. These traits make them intriguing to us, along with the fact that dolphins love to interact with humans. They are always ready to tell us all about what's going on in the waters around us, but unfortunately we aren't able to understand them.

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About the author: Joshua Plansden is the chief editor for A Dolphins Fan, the web's premier location when you are searching for the latest knowledge, accurate up to date advice and commentary about dolphins, For questions or comments about this article visit: www.adolphinsfan.com/articles This and other unique content dolphins articles are available with free reprint rights.

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