1. By: Te’auna Patterson

2. * Short fat snout * Snout connects to slanted head * Jaw is similar to under bite * Upper Body is grey with hints of purple * White belly, and light grey sides * Upper Body turns black after death * 76-98 teeth * Adults may reach 3.5 m * Two kinds of bottlenose dolphins

3. * White belly, and light grey sides * Upper Body turns black after death * 76-98 teeth * Adults may reach 3.5 m * Two kinds of bottlenose dolphins

4. * Pectoral flippers are similar to land mammals fingers * Pectoral Flippers are contain thick cartilage in between the bone * Pectoral Flippers are slightly curved at the tip * Pectoral Flippers are used to steer * Pectoral Flippers are used with flukes to stop

5. * The blood flow in flippers helps to maintain homeostasis * Instead of giving off heat into the environment they circulate it from arteries to veins * In order to cool down blood flow decrease towards the core but increases towards the surface * Dorsal Fin is made of thick tissue without bones like the flukes

6. * Some dolphins do not have a dorsal fin * Dorsal fins help to keep balance * Flukes are used to propel the animal * The size of the flukes is around 1/5 of the dolphins body

7. * Dolphins are NOT endangered * Live in water between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit * Some migrate seasonally * Everywhere but polar waters (tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate)

8. * Some live in deep water or shallower water closer to shore * There are about 67,000 Bottlenose dolphins in the United States’ Gulf of Mexico * In the Western North Pacific and along Japanese coasts there are about 35,000

9. * The size of the dolphin is based on its’ habitat * Smaller dolphins are Coastal * Larger Dolphins are Offshore * In the Western North Atlantic there are about 11,700

10. * Diet depends on habitat * Coastal dolphins feed on invertebrates * Deep water Dolphins feed on squid and pelagic fish * They consume 4-5% of their body weight a day * Follow fisherman to catch discarded fish or bait * They swallow their food whole

11. * They beach their prey to catch them easier * They use echolocation to stun prey * Use teeth to grab prey while tongue moves it down the throat * In Australia, they put a sponge on their nose to protect it as they forage for food on the bottom of the ocean

12. * Twice that of humans * Auditory part of brain is extremely developed * Frequency range of 1-150 kHz * Hear best between 40 and 100 kHz * Hear through their lower jaw http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/bottlenose/communication.htm

13. * Can see in and out of water * See best in water * Binocular vision in air * Have binocular and monocular vision in water * Have a light reflecting portion that makes it easy to see in dim light

14. * Female dolphins initiate courtship * May breed throughout the year * “Just before mating, a male rubs and nuzzles a female. he may also exhibit an "S-curve" posture, in which he lifts his head up and points his tail flukes down” * Calves nurse under water * Calves nurse for a year and a half * The dolphin that helps birth the calf is the auntie

15. * Dolphins hold their breath under water * Their blowhole is their way of breathing * Breathing takes about.3 seconds * Their normal breathing consists of taking 2-3 breaths per minute * Dolphins have blubber that insulates their bodies

16. * Normal body temperature is 98.4'F * Spend 1/3 of their day asleep * An ongoing study says that deep sleep occurs in one brain hemisphere at a time * Groups of dolphins are called pods * The average pod is seven animals * Pods are based on age sex and reproduction characteristics

17. * On the US coast pods of mothers and newborn calves are common * Teen dolphins occur in groups with males and females * Adult male dolphins travel alone or in groups of 3 * The deeper the water the bigger the pod * Mother-calf bonds last for a long time

18. * Establish dominance by fighting or smashing their tails on water * Emit bubble clouds when angry * Dolphins flirt by biting each other’s heads and scratching teeth * Dolphins can jump 16 feet in the air

19. * Jumping and landing on their backs or sides is called a breach * Dolphins help each other when hurt by bringing them to the surface to breathe * Albino Dolphins can be pink

20. * “Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).” The Mammals of Texas. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2011.. * Jenkins, Jessica, Phil Meyers, and Tanya Dewey. “Tursiops truncatus: Bottlenosed Dolphin.” Animal Diversity Web. U of Michigan Museum of Zoology, n.d. Web. 8 July 2011..

21. * “Bottlenose Dolphins.” Sea World. SeaWorld/ ‌ Busch Gardens Animal Information Database, n.d. Web. 8 July 2011.. * Pictures 1, 2, and 3 also came from this source