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.
Dolphins and some whales are cetaceans and part of a whale group known as odontocetes. Basically this means that they all have teeth. Whales that don't have teeth to eat with are mysticetes. Dolphin teeth are cone-shaped, and it's these teeth that set them apart from other sea animals.
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.
Almost 57 species of dolphins exist in the world. All dolphins have a lustrous body, which is very sleek. They have a typical long-beak like nose which is called the "rostrum". Very often, spectators tend to confuse between the porpoise and the dolphins. Both look similar in looks but are in fact different animals. The difference can be seen in their teeth. The porpoise have teeth shaped like spades for digging rocks, whereas the dolphins have teeth shaped like cones. One more main difference is that porpoises live in very cold water which cannot be tolerated by the dolphins.
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.
Dolphins have a long gestation period when it comes to the birth cycle of their young. The female dolphin will be pregnant for twelve months after which time she will give birth to one baby dolphin, called a "calf". Most baby calves will weight about 30 to 40 pounds and will be approximately 30 inches long. The mother dolphin will nurse her calf for the first two years of its life.
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.
The Dolphins are considered very friendly and are amongst the most wonderful animals on earth due to their intelligence and easy mingling with the humans. They try to convey through chirping their tongue whenever they interact with humans. This fact keeps the humans curious about this wonderful animal forever.
Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
About the author: Joshua Plansden is the chief writer for A Dolphins Fan, the best place on the internet when you are searching for the latest knowledge, accurate up to date advice and commentary to do with dolphins, For more articles on dolphins why not visit: www.adolphinsfan.com/articles
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