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BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN |
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SCIENTIFIC
NAME
- Tursiops from the latin tursio
animal like the dolphin + suffix greek -ops
"with the face of tursio",
truncatus in latin "squat"; so "tursio with squat rostrum".
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FAMILY
- Delphinidae
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| DIMENSIONS
- Medium lenght 3 mt, maximum 4 mt, maximum
weight 350 Kg. |
| ASPECT
- More massive and muscular Body
of the dolphins of analogous; pronounced melon with a furrow that
separates it from the rostrum; dorsal fin in median position, high and
arcuated; fins short and thin. Exist two kind of Bottlenose, one more large
and massive typically pelagic, and one more small with more coastal habits.
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| SKIN and COLORATION - Vanished and variable from individual to individual; back from gray
to tawny to black; vanished clear caparison from the head to the
flanks that more and more clear arrive to the white abdomen; jaw usually white; grey striature on the head;
characteristic V sign on every side of the melon; dark line
between eye and pectoral fin. Many are the possible ones varying
that modify how much said, as an example in the
Mediterranean make resemble the Bottlenose to the Striped dolphin (moreover more small) thanks to the design like clear flame shape under the
dorsal fin in ahead that interrupts the caparison. Elsewhere exist
exemplary spotted on the abdomen or nearly black.
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| LONGEVITY
- About 40 years. |
| REPRODUCTION
- Reproductive season not very defined,
gestation of approximately 12 months. At the birth the puppy measure approximately 1 mt.
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| TEETH
- Conical and strong, until 9
milimeter of diameter.
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| BREATH
- Not much visible. |
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SOUNDS
- Three types
of emissions:
1° click, used emissions of short duration for the
biosonar.
2° it hisses modulated.
3° impulse sounds.
The
emissions of the numbers 2 and 3 constitute the dictionary of
the Bottlenose, used in order to communicate. Every exemplary seems to
possess hisses that marks him.
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| FEEDING
- Bottlenose diet is formed with fish (cefali, triglie anchoviesetc.) but sometimes crustaceans (Vd.
Feeding). |
| HABITAT
- It's a cetacean with an easy adaptation, can be pelagic but it loves the low coastal waters,
the lagoons mostly, sometimes goes back the matting of the rivers.
Not cold tropical or moderated seas. |
| SWIM
- It's a cetacean very agile, knows to be very fast (30 Km/h - 16 nodes). Able of
remarkable immersions (-600 m).
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| JUMPS
- They make spectacular jumps also high three times
the length of their body. Sometimes
before diving it extracts the tail in vertical on the
water for some second.
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MIGRATIONS
- Some groups complete great
movements more than migrations, others are permanent.
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SOCIALITY
- They form familiar units of females with puppies said
branches which when they are weaned form branches of contemporarys,
committee the sexual maturity the females will be only combined to a
familiar unit while the males will often form groups of only two
individuals that unite with groups of females for reproductive scopes therefore temporary. In the Mediterranean the branches are formed
approximately from 6 exemplary of average.
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TEMPERAMENT
- Intelligent and confiding it tries sometimes the interaction with the man
coming until to river, if the own experiences with the man have
been positive are confiding therefore if otherwise can
show much distrust, often lets himself be transported from the bow wave of the
boats.
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DANGER
and PREDATORY
- The great sharks can attack
isolated or sick individuals, victim also of fishing-net and of the
pollution (since it lives near the coasts).
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SPECIES
DIFFUSION - Do not exist precise esteem, however rather numerous.
In the Mediterranean present everywhere.
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