ZooBlog

Tursiops truncatus
Class: Mammalia
Habitat: Warm and temperate harbors, bays and lagoons throughout the world
Length: 6-13 feet
Weight: 400-1,000 pounds
Gestation: 1 year, 1 calf
Diet: A wide variety of fish
Photo © Wildlife Conservation Society

Social Structure
Bottlenose dolphins live in groups called pods, consisting between 2-20 animals. Females usually live within a large pod, while males live in a smaller group and join the pod at various times. Male dolpins often show aggressive behaviors to fight for the dominant role. These behaviors might as well be excercised toward other smaller species of dolphins and porpoises.

Reproduction
Male dolphins become sexually mature at around 10-12 years old, while females can have their first calf as the age of 5. Gestation period lasts 12 months. Births always take place in the shallow waters, and assisted by another dolphin to provide comfort. A single calf is born at about 3 feet in length. The calf will be nursed for the next 12 to 18 months.

Animal Info

Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Class: Mammalia
Habitat: Temperate waters in northern Pacific; south Bering Sea to southern Japan
Length: 5.5-7 feet
Weight: 300 lbs
Gestation: 1 year, 1 calf
Diet: Herring, squid
Photo © Kamogawa Sea World, JAPAN

Three Tones of Colors
Pacific white-sided dolphins have creamy white colors in chin, throat and belly. Their beak, flippers, back and dorsal fin are darker grey, with somewhat lighter patches running throughout the sides of the body. The species is considered an average size of oceanic dolphins. In the wild, they are very active and social, and are often seen swimming along with other cetacean species. Large groups of an average of 10-100 individuals have been observed, while bigger groups of more than 2,000 can also been encountered. Pacific white-sided dolphins can live up to 40 years.

In Zoos and Aquariums
Pacific white-sided dolphins are quite popular in zoos and aquariums, and they can adapt well with other species, like bottlenose dolphins and false killer whales.

Animal Info