Dolphins - Amazing Creatures Of The Ocean
By: Joshua Plansden

Most people are under the impression that dolphins are fish because they live in the water. The truth is that dolphins are actually warm-blooded mammals. Like humans they breathe air and produce babies rather than lay eggs. This makes them unique among creatures, but there are other factors that make them so fascinating to us.

If you happen to experience dolphins from close ranges, then you will be aware of their unique characteristics for which they are famous. Dolphins are cetaceans like the whales and are placed along with whales in the group called odontocetes, since they have teeth. However, some Whales do not have teeth for feeding and are placed under the group mysticetes.

Most dolphins inhabit the tropical and pleasantly warm waters throughout the world. What most people don't realize is that there are other dolphin species living in rivers and non-salt water. There are so few of them left, that they are considered endangered.

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.

The Orca or the killer whale is one of the most common species of dolphins. When people think of the most dominating and ferocious creature in the sea, the Orca or the Killer whale comes to everyone's mind. They are also the most fearless amongst all sea animals.

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.

Young dolphins tend to stay close to their mothers for around five to seven years, which is a very long time when compared to other animals. In other animal species, the siblings leave the mother very soon after birth and are on their own. The young dolphins while staying with their mothers learn the nuances on how to pull on with the other dolphins and also how and where to look for their food.

Dolphins live in groups known as "pods" and travel together. The females interact with the young, while the males keep more to themselves and don't participate in parenting.

The dolphin continues to be one of the most fascinating animals in the world. This has a large part to do with its intelligence and incredible curiosity. These animals love to interact with man whenever they can, chirping in their native dolphin tongue about events in the water that we'll never understand.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

About the author: Joshua Plansden is the chief writer for A Dolphins Fan, the #1 source on the internet when you are searching for the latest knowledge, accurate up to date advice and commentary to do with dolphins. For questions or comments about this article visit: www.adolphinsfan.com/articles
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