# data[].attributes.body
Decreased surface-to-volume ratio. The dolphin's fusiform body shape and reduced limb size decrease the amount of surface area exposed to the external environment. This helps dolphins conserve body heat. Dolphins adapted to cooler, deeper water generally have larger bodies and smaller flippers than coastal dolphins, further reducing the ratio of surface area to overall body mass.

# data[].attributes.body
REPRODUCTION

The age for mating depends on the location of the Bottlenose Dolphin. It can range from 5 to 13 years for females and from 9 to 14 years for the males. After mating, it takes a year for the young calf to be born. They will drink milk from the mother until they are from 18 to 20 months old. The mothers will take care of the young until they are several years old. Females often have new offspring every 3 to 6 years. Males have an average lifespan of 40 to 45 years and females have an average life of 50 years in the wild.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Commonly seen in aquariums, sea parks, TV shows, and movies, the bottlenose dolphin is a wildly recognizable cetacean (marine mammal). In the wild, bottlenose dolphins inhabit the temperate and tropical oceans around the world, with coastal populations entering into bays, estuaries, and river mouths.

Like the name "bottlenose" suggests, this species of dolphin has a short, stubby beak. Its sleek, conical body varies in color from a light to slate grey on the upper body to a pale to pinkish grey on the bottom part. Bottlenose dolphins measure around 2-4 m (6-12 ft.) long and weigh 135-650 kg (300 - 1400 lbs.). Males are significantly larger than females.

A curved dorsal fin in the middle of their back, along with powerful, broad flukes on their tail and a pointed flipper on each side allow bottlenose dolphins to swim speeds up to 35 km/h (22 mph) and dive as deep as 915 m (3000 ft.). They have a thick layer of blubber which helps them maintain their body heat and protects them from predators such as killer whales and large sharks. They have sensitive, smooth skin that flakes off and gets replaced every few hours.

Despite the fact that they live underwater and can hold their breath for up to 7 minutes, dolphins must come to the surface to breathe air. A muscular flap covers their blowhole while underwater and opens to exhale once they reach the surface. Dolphins can exhale air at 160 km/hr (100 mph). When they inhale, they can exchange up to 80% of the contents of their lungs. Humans, by comparison, only exchange 17% of the air in their lungs when they breathe.

Dolphins aren't involuntary breathers like humans. They must consciously swim to the surface to take a breath. This means they can never fully sleep. One side of their brain must always be active so that they remember to breathe.

Although they have little to no sense of smell, bottlenose dolphins have other well-developed sensory organs.

With eyes located at the side of their heads, they have a nearly 360-degree field of vision. They can also move each eye independently of the other, providing even more range. They have strong eye muscles which can change the shape of their lens and allow them to focus both underwater and in the air. They secrete a mucus over their eyes which washes away debris.

They also have an excellent sense of hearing. Sounds travel through their lower jaw to their inner ear. Bottlenose dolphins communicate with each other using a collection of chirps, whistles, and clicks. They create these sounds using nasal sacs in their heads and their blowholes. Each dolphin has a signature whistle used to identify itself. When lost or isolated, a dolphin uses the signature whistle to call out to the group.

Dolphins produce high-frequency clicks that humans can't hear. They use these clicks in a sonar system called echolocation. When the clicking sound reaches an object, it bounces back to the dolphin as an echo. Dolphins can process this information to determine the shape, size, speed, distance, and location of the object.

Bottlenose dolphins use echolocation when hunting for fish, squid, and crustaceans. They have 18-26 pairs of sharp, conical teeth on each side of their jaw, but they usually swallow their prey whole. They consume 8-15 kg (15-30 lbs.) food per day. Although they sometimes hunt independently, they also cooperate in groups to capture prey. They take turns herding fish into smaller areas while others swim through and snap the fish up. They also use a hunting tactic called "fish whacking", where they knock fish out of the water with their tails, and eat them when they're flopping around on shore. Many times dolphins hunt in conjunction with fisherman, convening around fishing boats.

Very social animals, bottlenose dolphins generally swim in groups (called pods) of 10-25. Offshore, they have been seen in larger groups of several hundred. These large groups are called herds.

Within their groups, bottlenose dolphins like to play. They surf on waves near shore and ride waves caused by boats and big whales. They have also been documented creating bubble rings with their blowholes, spinning them with their beaks, and then then breaking them apart by biting them. The technique of creating bubble rings is a learned behavior; dolphins watch others create them and then try to mimic the behavior.

A video of dolphins creating and playing with bubble rings.

Bottlenose dolphins breed year round once they reach maturity (5-10 years for females and 10 years for males). Ultrasound images of pregnant dolphins show that at 9 weeks, the dolphin fetus starts swimming inside the womb. These images also reveal that dolphin fetuses develop hind limbs which later retract and disappear before the calf is born. In fact, in 2006, Japanese fishermen found a bottlenose dolphin whose limbs didn't disappear. These limbs served as a second set of flippers. This phenomenon of hind limbs developing and then retracting in utero points to the idea that dolphins evolved from four-legged land animals.

After 12 months in the womb, the calf is ready to be born. The calf emerges tail first so that it doesn't drown. Once fully out, the baby dolphin swims to the surface to take its first breath of air. The calf stays with its mother for 3-6 years, nursing for the first 12-18 months and learning to hunt once weaned.

Conservation Status

Bottlenose dolphins can live up to 40-50 years. According to the IUCN Redlist, they are a species of least concern. However, they face a several threats, including pollution, virus outbreak, run-ins with fishing gear and boats, and hunting in Japan and Taiwan.

What You Can Do to Help

Be respectful of dolphins as swimmers, boaters, and fishermen. Keep your distance from wild dolphins, especially mothers and their young. Do not touch or feed wild dolphins. It is also important not to litter. Plastic bags, six pack rings, nets, hooks and fishing line all pose risks to dolphins. Write to your legislator about preserving their ocean habitat and keeping it free from pollution.

Bottlenose Dolphin Distribution

Dolphin Resources

Blog Posts about the Bottlenose Dolphin

Featured Animal: Bottlenose Dolphin - March 24, 2017

VIDEO: Pink Dolphin in Louisiana - September 12, 2015

Baby Bottlenose Dolphin at Discovery Cove - March 5, 2015

Baby Dolphin at Discovery Cove - April 3, 2014

Baby Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin at Discovery Cove - March 4, 2013

Baby Dolphin at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove - December 14, 2012

Baby Dolphin Born at SeaWorld Orlando - July 9, 2012

SeaWorld's Animal Rescue Team Saves Stranded Baby Dolphin - May 22, 2012

Dolphin Calf Born at SeaWorld - July 29, 2011

Book Review - In the Womb: Animals - May 1, 2009

Dolphin Bubble Rings at SeaWorld - March 12, 2009

Dolphin Bubble Rings - September 26, 2008

About the Author

Abi Cushman is a lifelong animal lover and the editor-in-chief of Animal Fact Guide. She not only writes and edits articles, she also creates animal illustrations for the site.

Follow her on Twitter:@abicushman and Instagram: @abi.cushman

Last updated on August 24, 2014.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bottlenose Dolphin Facts for Kids | Dolphin Photos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Commonly seen in aquariums, sea parks, TV shows, and movies, the bottlenose dolphin is a wildly recognizable cetacean (marine mammal). In the wild, bottlenose dolphins inhabit the temperate and tropical oceans around the world, with coastal populations entering into bays, estuaries, and river mouths.

# data[].attributes.headline
                                 Acquire Energy

# data[].attributes.subject
                                 Acquire Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Common Name:

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Scientific Name:

Tursiops truncatus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

45 to 50 years

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Bottlenose dolphins are well known as the intelligent and charismatic stars of many aquarium shows. Their curved mouths give the appearance of a friendly, permanent smile, and they can be trained to perform complex tricks.

Intelligence and Echolocation

In the wild, these sleek swimmers can reach speeds of over 18 miles an hour. They surface often to breathe, doing so two or three times a minute. Bottlenose dolphins travel in social groups and communicate with each other by a complex system of squeaks and whistles. Schools have been known to come to the aid of an injured dolphin and help it to the surface.

Bottlenose dolphins track their prey through the expert use of echolocation. They can make up to 1,000 clicking noises per second. These sounds travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back to their dolphin senders, revealing the location, size, and shape of their target.

When dolphins are feeding, that target is often a bottom-dwelling fish, though they also eat shrimp and squid. These clever animals are also sometimes spotted following fishing boats in hopes of dining on leftovers.

Conservation

Bottlenose dolphins are found in tropical oceans and other warm waters around the globe. They were once widely hunted for meat and oil (used for lamps and cooking), but today only limited dolphin fishing occurs. However, dolphins are threatened by commercial fishing for other species, like tuna, and can become mortally entangled in nets and other fishing equipment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bottlenose Dolphin | National Geographic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Common Name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin Scientific Name: Tursiops truncatus Average Life Span In The Wild: 45 to 50 years Size relative to a 6-ft man: Bottlenose dolphins are well known as the intelligent and charismatic stars of many aquarium shows. Their curved mouths give the appearance of a friendly, permanent smile, and they can be trained to perform complex tricks.