Interesting Facts about the Dolphin
Interesting Facts about the Dolphin
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Dolphins are the only mammals whose babies are born tail first. Mothers stay with their calves for about two to three years. They vary in size from 4 feet to 30 feet. They have two stomachs; one for the storage of food and the other one for digesting food. |
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Their average lifespan is 17 years. However, dolphins can live up to 50 years in the wild.
Bottlenose dolphins can grow 14 feet long and weigh 500 kg.
Some species of dolphins do not possess the dorsal fin.
Maui's dolphin is the smallest of all species and weighs only 40 kg and is 4 feet long.
The orca or killer whale, which can weigh up to 10 tonnes, is the largest dolphin. It can grow up to 30 feet long.
They are commonly used for animal assisted therapies for psychological problems and developmental disabilities.
Some dolphins can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes while some can't stay without breathing even for a minute.
They are among the most intelligent animals.
Although gestation period varies with species but orcas have the longest gestation period of all the dolphin species which is 17 months.
Some militaries have employed dolphins. They use them for various tasks like rescuing lost or trapped humans and finding mines.
Dolphins sleep with only one brain hemisphere in slow-wave sleep at a time. This allows them to maintain enough consciousness to breathe and to watch for possible predators and other threats.
The Indus river dolphin has a completely different sleep method. Due to the strong currents in the water it lives in, it must swim continuously to avoid getting injured. As a result, they sleep in very short bursts which last between 4 and 60 seconds.
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