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TABLE OF CONTENTS1.INTRODUCTION
2.GROUPS3.CHARACTERISTICS
4.BREATHING5.HEARING AND COMMUNICATION
6.HOW DO THEY EAT7.EATING HABITS8.DOLPHIN BIRTH
9.DOLPHIN ENEMIES10.CONCLUSION
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DOLPHINS
IntroductionDolphins are mammals that live in the water. Although these sleek creatures look like fish they are not. They are air
breathing mammals just like us. Dolphins are mammals called
cetaceans, which means “sea monster.’’
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Platanistidae
Groups Dolphins are divided into two groups.
The larger most common group is called “Delphinide” which are salt water
dolphins. The smaller group is called “Platanistidae” which are freshwater
dolphins.
Delphinide
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Characteristics
Dolphins are warm blooded which means they use part of their energy to maintain a stable
body temperature. Dolphins have fat which is called blubber that insulates them from the cold water. Some dolphins in Artic regions can have
blubber that is 20 inches thick!
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How do dolphins breathe?
Dolphins have lungs just like us and they fill them with air through their nose
or blowhole. When we breathe we replace only 15 percent of the air in our lungs with fresh air. Dolphins replace 90
percent of the air in their lungs with fresh air. So dolphins can stay underwater for 7-10 minutes.
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Hearing and communication
Hearing is a dolphin’s most important sense. Dolphins have a unique way of
gathering information called “Ecolocation”. Dolphins make creaky
door sounds, high pitched squeals, rat a tat clicks, chirps, whistles, groans and
claps. They make a lot of noises that are too high for the human ear to hear.
Each dolphin has a unique whistle that can be recognized by other dolphins.
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EATING HABITS
All dolphins are carnivores. They eat mostly fish and squid. Dolphins don’t drink water
directly. They get water from the foods.
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How do they eat?
To hunt fish some species of dolphins use a method called ‘’herding’’ which
is performed by a pod of dolphins, where some of them surround a school of fish as close as possible. Then the others take turns to dive through the
fish and feed.
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Dolphin Birth
Dolphins do everything underwater. A dolphin mom gives birth to a calf who is about a third the size of mom herself.
She feeds her calf with her milk just like other mammals.
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Dolphin Enemies
Dolphins avoid sharks because they count them as enemies. Unfortunately as much as most people love dolphins we are their worst enemy. We pollute their homes and people in
some countries use dolphins as bait for catching fish! The biggest danger from
humans is from factory fishing operations.
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Conclusion
I love dolphins because they are very playful mammals. Thank you for reading this book. I really hope
you enjoyed this book!
Image Attribution/Citing
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http://www.elegantdirectory.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-dolphins.html#
http://www.sandiegonewsnet.org/pink-dolphins-in-amazon-river-slaughtered-as-bait-2010793.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bottledolphin.shtml
http://www.adoptadolphin.org.uk/
Lobster, Spiny. 2003. Image.23 March 2011. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>.
http://www.norsupplies.com/?tmpl=butikk&a=list&&b_kid=507671
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/HURL/gallery.html
www.flickr.com/photos/38504374@N02/3590199054/
http://professorpaulsnatureencyclopedia.blogspot.com/2011/01/platanistidaeindian-river-dolphins.html
http://eyesontaiji.org/about-dolphins/
http://sharp-science.blogspot.com/2010/12/sardine-run-yearly-feeding-frenzy-off.html
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