HABITS
The common dolphin is a friendly, sociable animal that lives in mixed groups of males, females, and young. The dolphin inhabits the warmer coastal waters of the world and is never seen as far north or south as the bottlenose dolphin.
BREEDING

The dolphin has a different mate every season. Mating takes place in the fall and a single calf is born 10 months later.

The calf emerges tail first, and, while the mother helps it to the surface to breath, several other females protect them from sharks that may be attracted by the blood lost in birth. The mother suckles her calf underwater, and feeding is quick and frequent so that the calf can surface and breath every few seconds. For the first two weeks of it's life, the young dolphin stays close to it's mother or other females. It can swim rapidly at birth, and soon begins to grow teeth which push through it's gums much like those of a human baby. Still the calf does not become independent for many months.

FOOD & HUNTING

The common dolphin eats herring, sardines, cuttlefish, octopus, and shrimp. Where herring and sardines are abundant, the dolphin is a common sight, but when the fish migrate or become depleted, the dolphin moves on to other feeding grounds in schools often numbering hundreds. Dolphins communicate with each other by using a language consisting of clicks and whistles. Communicating through sound is also important in helping dolphins to hunt. Dolphins will make a series of high pitched whistles that travel through the water. When the sounds reach a solid object, such as a school of fish, an echo is created by which the dolphin can identify the speed, size, and direction of the prey. This process is called echolocation.

DOLPHINS & MAN

Found in coastal waters of all the tropical and temperate seas, the common dolphin is abundant in the Mediterranean. It is migratory, following schools of fish, its staple food. The common dolphin was once hunted in large numbers in the Black Sea. Although this has stopped, an increasing number are becoming entangled in fishermans nets.

KEY FACTS

Size

Length: 5-8 ft.

Weight: 160 lb.

Breeding

Sexual maturity: 5-6 years

Mating: In north atlantic, October to December. Most births occur from Sept. to Oct.

Gestation: 10 months

Number of young: Single calf

Lifestyle

Habit: Lives in large schools.

Diet: Mainly herring and sardines, but also a wide range of fish.

Lifespan: Up to 25 years.

DID YOU KNOW? The killer whale, one of the common dolphins most feared predators, is itself a species of dolphin. The common dolphin can stay submerged for only 3-4 minutes, while the bottlenose dolphin can remain under water for up to 15 minutes. The dolphin has no sweat glands. It stays cool by releasing heat through its flippers.

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