Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Photographed during Captain Mike's Dolphin Tour out of Lazaretto Creek, Georgia.
Photograph by Philip Hodgkins. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN FACTS

Description
The Bottlenose Dolphin has a short rounded bottle-shaped snout. The large dorsal fin is slightly hooked and set half way along the body. Overall the body colour is a series of grey tones with an indistinct paler grey wash on the flanks. The belly is off-white.
The Bottlenose Dolphin is commonly seen in groups or pods, containing anything from two or three individuals to more than a thousand.

Other Names
Bottlenosed Dolphin

Size
2m - 4m

Environment
Oceans and seas. They are resident or frequent inhabitants of bays and coastal areas.

Food
fish, squid, shrimp.

Breeding
Birth of the young occurs after a gestation period of about a year. A single calf is born underwater and suckled for about 12 to 18 months. It remains with the mother for about four years. Dolphins can live up to 45 years.

Range
warm temperate and tropical oceans and seas worldwide

Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "data deficient".

Classification

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Family:	Delphinidae
Genus:	Tursiops
Species:	truncatus
Common Name:	Bottlenose Dolphin

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