River dolphins message briefly. Dolphins - description of life, photo, video. Amazonian inia, or bowto

where do dolphins live

1. what continent does dnlfin live on
2. In the sea
3. in the seas, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Laptev Sea, the Sea of ​​Japan, the White Sea, the North Sea.
4. in the ground
5. The question, to put it mildly, is childish….
   Suborder
   Toothed whales (Odontoceti)

   Family

   Dolphin
   (Delphinidae)
   47 types

   Cetaceans of small size. Body length 1.1-10 m (in the family, small dolphins with a body length of 1.1-4 m, medium-4.1-7 m and large 7.1-10 m can be distinguished). Males are usually larger than females. Sexual dimorphism can also manifest itself in other characters - the shape and size of the dorsal fin, the shape of the pectoral fins. Caudal fin with a deep notch between the lobes. Most representatives have a large dorsal(sometimes it is absent), located approximately in the middle of the body. The slit of the blowhole, located on the crown, is horseshoe-shaped and faces forward with its ends.
   There are no furrows on the throat. The "beak" is well developed, long or completely absent. The color of the body is varied: one-color (gray, black), dark above and light below, or with various light stripes or spots.
   The skull is asymmetrical. The zygomatic and temporal bones are poorly developed in the skull. The proximal parts of the facial bones do not form ridges. The pterygoid and nasal bones are relatively small in size. There are pre- and postorbital processes. The symphysis of the lower jaw usually does not exceed 1/3 of its length. Rostrum long or short. The width of the lower and upper jaws is approximately the same.
   Dental formula 0-65/2-58
   The teeth are homodont, in most dolphins they are small in size, sometimes large and massive. The top ones go in between the bottom ones.
   Cervical vertebrae coalesce into various combinations.
   Widespread in almost all seas globe. Some are distributed very widely, almost all over the world (dolphin-barreled dolphin, killer whales), others are more local.
   Mobile animals leading a pack lifestyle. The food is varied. Among the representatives of the family, ichthyophages, teutophages, teutoichthyophages and sarcophagi can be distinguished.

   Family

   river dolphins
   (Platanistidae)
   6 types

   Gangetic dolphin or susuk (Platanista gangetica)
   Indian dolphin (Platanista indi)
   Amazonian inia or bowto (Inia geoffresis)
   Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis)
   Chinese lake dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer)
   La Plata dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)
   The most ancient family of modern toothed dolphins. It originated in the Miocene and spread widely in the ocean, but was forced out by competitors and enemies into the rivers. River dolphins are characterized by primitive features inherited from their ancestors (squalodonts) - a very elongated (relatively shorter in young than in adults), a narrow snout and a long mandibular symphysis.
   Members of this family are relatively small. . Body length 1.5-2.9 m. Weight up to 40-123 kg. Females are somewhat larger than males. The "beak" is thin and long (1/6-1/7 body length), sharply separated from the frontal protrusion. The frontal prominence is sometimes sloping or somewhat more convex. The Amazonian and Gangetic dolphins have a cervical interception. Pectoral fins wide and short, fan-shaped. The dorsal fin is small in the Amazonian and Gangetic dolphins and relatively large in the La Plata and lacustrine dolphins. Body color varies greatly from brown or blackish to almost white. Vision is poorly developed or completely absent, for example, in Gangetic dolphins, in whose eyes there is no lens.
   In the brain, the number of convolutions is less than in other dolphins.
   They live in rivers, closer to deltas, and La Platsky - in the sea.

6. in the seas and oceans!
7. Species of the dolphin family (Delphinidae) live in all open seas and sometimes enter the mouth major rivers. Representatives of the family of freshwater, or river, dolphins (Platanistidae) have a much more limited distribution. For the most part they inhabit inland fresh waters, although some of them can penetrate into brackish estuaries and even into the coastal zones of the seas. The family Stenidae includes species that live in the sea, fresh water, or both.

   Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops) .. Of the species of this genus, the most famous is the Atlantic, or simply bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus), widespread in warm waters around the world.

   The common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is one of the most common members of the family in the Mediterranean Sea. White flanks inhabit warm and temperate seas around the world. They are usually divided into three subspecies: one in the Atlantic and, possibly, the Indian Oceans, another in the Pacific and the third in the Black Sea. Independent, although closely related forms are sometimes isolated for South Africa, Japan and the Red Sea.

   Short-headed dolphins (Lagenorhynchus) are represented by several species: depending on the classification used, their number can reach up to six. Representatives of this genus usually inhabit colder waters than other dolphins, and some species even reach pack ice. One of them, the Pacific striped dolphin (L. obliquidens), is regularly exhibited in several aquariums and is remarkable for its ability to jump over a high-hanging crossbar.

   Continued here: http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/02/1000203/1000203a2.htm
   What Do Dolphins Can Do?
   Dolphins possess some skills that were previously attributed only to humans and higher apes. Among them are identification with a reflection in a mirror, a developed system of signal communication, abstract thinking, the ability to learn (do not confuse with training!) And transfer learned skills between generations.

8. Probably in the ocean

The dolphin is a representative of the suborder of toothed whales, the order of cetaceans, the dolphin family (Delphinidae). The graceful body of the dolphin has a spindle-shaped streamlined shape, which allows these mammals to quickly cut through the water surface. The speed of the dolphin reaches 50 km/h.

Humans and Dolphins

People have known about the extraordinary mind and quick wit of dolphins for a long time. These charming animals rescue people from ships in distress, preventing them from drowning. You could even say that dolphins are the smartest animals on the planet. Many trainers believe that the intelligence of dolphins can be equated to a human, these animals behave so intelligently and unusually.

There is a joke about dolphins, which tells that if a person had not overtaken the dolphins and had not climbed down from the tree before, they would come out of the water and now would be the kings of nature, replacing us.

Dolphin is smart, kind, beautiful, he is an excellent student, analyzes, remembers.

Dolphins are directly related to formidable inhabitants oceans, killer whales and. There are about 50 species of dolphins. These include the porpoise, black dolphin, gray dolphin, white-faced dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin.

The most popular bottlenose dolphin ( big dolphin), which people basically have in mind when talking about meetings with representatives of this species. They are well studied and tamed. Bottlenose dolphins are filmed in films, they participate in programs for the rehabilitation of children suffering from various neurological ailments.

Dolphin - description and photos. What does a dolphin look like?

A dolphin is not a fish, but a mammal. Common to all species is an elongated streamlined body, which is crowned by a small dolphin head with a beak-shaped mouth. Each jaw contains 80-100 small conical teeth. The dolphin's teeth are slightly tilted inwards. The transition between the muzzle and the frontal part is well defined. Almost all members of the dolphin class have a prominent dorsal fin. The skin is supple and smooth to the touch. The length of the dolphin can reach 4.5 meters depending on the species.

Dolphins in the water move very easily, they practically do not feel its resistance due to special fatty secretions on the skin that facilitate gliding. Interestingly, the dolphin's skin is quickly erased from the friction of water. Therefore, in the deep skin layers they have a significant supply of regenerating cells. The dolphin constantly sheds, changing up to 25 layers of skin per day!

The eyes of dolphins are small, vision is poor. This is due to the fact that animals practically do not use them for hunting. The nostrils are transformed into a blowhole located on the crown of the head.

How do dolphins breathe?

Whales and dolphins are related and can stay under water for a long time without surfacing. The drawbar is closed during such periods. But, like other cetaceans, dolphins still need air underwater and periodically rise to the surface to breathe.

Do dolphins have ears?

Dolphins have no ears. But that doesn't mean they don't have hearing. There is! True, it functions differently from other mammals. Sounds are perceived by the inner ear, and the air cushions located in the frontal part serve as resonators. But these animals are fluent in echolocation. They accurately determine the location and dimensions of the object by the reflected sound, and by the wavelength - the distance to it.

How Do Dolphins Sleep?

Dolphins also have another interesting physiological feature A: They never sleep. Animals hang in the water column, periodically rising to the surface for breathing. During rest, they are able to alternately turn off either the left or the right hemisphere of the brain, that is, only one half of the dolphin's brain sleeps, while the other is awake.

Where do dolphins live?

The habitat of the dolphin is exclusively water bodies. The dolphin lives in almost all places on our planet, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Dolphins live in the sea, in the ocean, as well as in large freshwater rivers(Amazonian river dolphin). These mammals love space and move freely over long distances.

Dolphin language

Dolphins are animals social, live in packs, in which there can be from 10 to 100 (sometimes more) individuals, fighting off enemies with common efforts. Inside the pack, there is practically no competition or fights between them; fellow tribesmen coexist peacefully with each other. Dolphins communicate using sounds and signals. Dolphin language extraordinarily varied. The "talk" of these mammals includes clicking, whistling, barking, and chirping. The dolphin voice spectrum extends from the lowest frequencies to ultrasonic. Moreover, they can combine simple sounds into words and sentences, passing information to each other.

What do dolphins eat?

The diet of dolphins includes only fish, preference is given to anchovies. The method of hunting used by animals is also interesting. A flock of dolphins finds a school of fish and with special sounds forces it to huddle into a dense group. As a result of such hunting, most of the school becomes the prey of dolphins. This feature is often used when attacking frightened fish from the air. There are known facts when dolphins helped fishermen by driving a joint to them in the net.

Sharks and dolphins

An interesting fact is that dolphins live in symbiosis. They often hunt together without showing any aggression towards each other.

Dolphin species

There are 17 genera in the dolphin family. Most interesting varieties dolphins:

• White-bellied dolphin (black dolphin, Chilean dolphin) ( Cephalorhynchus eutropia)

lives exclusively on the coast of Chile. An animal with a rather modest size - the length of the stocky and rather thick body of this cetacean does not exceed 170 cm. The back and sides of the white-bellied dolphin have grey colour, while the throat, belly area and parts of the flippers adjacent to the body are absolutely white. The flippers and dorsal fin of the white-bellied dolphin are smaller than those of other dolphin species. This type close to extinction, protected by the Chilean authorities.

• Common Dolphin ( common dolphin) (Delphinus delphis)

The length of a marine animal often reaches 2.4 meters, the weight of a dolphin varies between 60-80 kilograms. In the back area, an ordinary dolphin is painted dark blue or almost black, the belly is white, and a spectacular yellowish-gray stripe runs along the light sides. This species of dolphins lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, feels at ease in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There is a common dolphin on east coast South America, along the coasts of New Zealand and South Africa, in the seas of Japan and Korea.

• white-faced dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus albirostris)

a large representative of cetaceans with a body length reaching 3 meters and weighing up to 275 kg. Distinctive feature The white-faced dolphin has a very light, sometimes snow-white muzzle. The habitat of this mammal includes the waters of the North Atlantic, the coast of Portugal and Turkey. The dolphin feeds on fish such as navaga, flounder, herring, whiting, as well as mollusks and crustaceans.

• Large-toothed dolphin ( Steno bredanensis)

The body length of this marine mammal is 2-2.6 meters, weight varies from 90 to 155 kg. The height of the dorsal fin is 18-28 cm. The color of the dolphin is dominated by gray, over which whitish spots are “scattered”. This species of dolphin is common off the coast of Brazil, in the Gulf of Mexico and California, lives in the warm waters of the Caribbean and Red Seas.

• bottlenose dolphin (large dolphin or bottlenose dolphin) ( Tursiops truncatus)

The length of the animal can vary from 2.3 to 3.6 meters, and weight from 150 to 300 kg. The body color of the bottlenose dolphin depends on the habitat, but basically the species has a dark brown upper part body and grayish-white belly. Sometimes there is a weakly pronounced pattern in the form of fuzzy stripes or spots on the sides. The bottlenose dolphin lives in the Mediterranean, Red, Baltic and Black Seas, and is often found in the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Japan, Argentina and New Zealand.

• Broad-faced dolphin (beakless dolphin) ( Peponocephala electra)

common in the waters of countries with tropical climate, especially mass populations live along the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. The torpedo-shaped, light gray body of the animal is crowned with a cone-shaped dark gray head. The length of a mammal often reaches 3 meters, and an adult individual weighs more than 200 kg.

• Chinese dolphin (sousa chinensis)

This representative of the genus of humpback dolphins lives in the waters along the coast. South-East Asia, but migrates during the breeding season, therefore it is found in bays, quiet sea lagoons and even rivers washing Australia and the countries of South Africa. The length of the animal can be 2-3.5 meters with a weight of 150-230 kg. Surprisingly, although dolphins are born absolutely black, as they grow, the body color changes first to light gray, with slightly pinkish spots, and adults become almost white. The Chinese dolphin feeds on fish and shellfish.

• Irrawaddy dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris)

A distinctive feature of this species of dolphins is the complete absence of a beak on the muzzle and a flexible neck, which received mobility due to several skin and muscle folds behind the head. The color of the body of the Irrawaddy dolphin can be either light gray with a blue tint or dark gray, while the belly of the animal is always a tone lighter. In length, this aquatic mammal reaches 1.5-2.8 meters and weighs 115-145 kg. The dolphin's habitat covers the waters of the warm Indian Ocean, from the Bay of Bengal to the northern coast of Australia.

• Cruciform Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus cruciger)

lives exclusively in the waters of the Antarctic and subantarctic. The color of the dolphin is black and white, less often - dark gray. Spectacular mark white color, covering the sides of the mammal, stretches to its muzzle, framing the eye area. The second mark runs along the back of the body, intersecting with the first and forming a pattern in the form hourglass. An adult cruciform dolphin has a body length of about 2 meters in length, the weight of a dolphin varies between 90-120 kilograms.

• Killer whale (killer whale) ( Orcinus orca)

a mammal that belongs to the dolphin family, a genus of killer whales. The male killer whale has a length of about 10 meters and a weight of around 8 tons. Females are smaller: their length reaches 8.7 meters. Pectoral flippers of killer whales have a wide oval shape. Killer whale teeth are quite long - up to 13 cm in length. The sides and back of the mammal are black, the throat is white, and on the belly is white stripe. There are white spots above the eyes. Sometimes completely black or white individuals are found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The killer whale lives in all waters of the oceans, except Sea of ​​Azov, Black Sea, Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea.

(Platanistidae)

family of mammals of the suborder of toothed whales. Length up to 3 m, weigh up to 225 kg. There are single hairs on the muzzle. The pectoral fins are short and wide, the dorsal fin is in the form of a low triangular ridge. The beak is very long and narrow. The teeth are numerous (from 104 to 242) with curved and widened roots (in the Gangetic susuk, the front teeth are sharply enlarged). Hearing and echolocation are well developed, vision is poor (the susuk does not have a lens). R. d. live in the rivers of South America and South Asia, 4 genera with 4 species: Inia Amazonian , Gangetic susuk (Platanista gangetica, Ganges River, Brahmaputra), Chinese lake dolphin (Lipotes vexil lifer, Dongting Lake) and Laplat dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei, lives on the La Plata River and off the coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina between 30 and 45 ° S). R. d. feed on benthic invertebrates and fish. Susuk pregnancy lasts 8-9 months

A. G. Tomilin.

• - The most ancient family of modern toothed whales ...

  Biological Encyclopedia

• - Already in 1819, A. Humboldt published his observations about one dolphin found in the fresh waters of South America, but did not describe this animal in detail ...

  Life of animals

• - aquatic mammals of the suborder of toothed whales, closely related to porpoises ...

  Collier Encyclopedia

• - Dolphin subfamily. Most have a dorsal fin, the muzzle is extended into a "beak", the teeth are numerous ...

  Biological encyclopedic dictionary

• - subfamily sea. mammals toothed whales. Length 1.2-10 m. Approx. 50 species, widely distributed. D. are often kept in aquariums where they can breed. Easily trainable...

  Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary

• - top bronze artillery pieces of the former designs, in the middle of their length, there were two brackets that looked like the letter D. D. were assigned to pass a rope or chain through them, which served to lift ...

  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron

• - a family of mammals from the order of cetaceans, suborder of toothed whales. D. are characterized by the presence in both jaws of a fairly significant number of homogeneous conical teeth ...

  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron

• - a subfamily of mammals of the dolphin family of the order of whales. The usual body length is 1.2-3 m, in some species up to 10 m. Most D. have a dorsal fin, the muzzle is elongated into a “beak”, and there are numerous teeth ...
• - a genus of mammals of the dolphin family of the suborder of toothed whales. The body of K. d. is thin, the head is small. Above the upper jaw there is a low frontal protrusion. There is no dorsal fin, like right whales...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - a family of mammals of the suborder of toothed whales. Length up to 3 m, weigh up to 225 kg. There are single hairs on the muzzle. The pectoral fins are short and wide, the dorsal fin is in the form of a low triangular ridge...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - a family of toothed whales. Length 1.2-10 m. Over 50 species, mainly in moderately warm, including fresh, waters. Most are fast-swimming herd animals...

  Modern Encyclopedia

• - subfamily marine mammals suborder of toothed whales. Length 1.2-10 mm. OK. 50 species, widely distributed. Dolphins are often kept in aquariums where they can breed. Easily trainable...
• - family aquatic mammals suborder of toothed whales. Length up to 3 m. 5-6 species, in the rivers Yuzh. Asia and South. America, as well as in the Atlantic approx. off the coast of the South. America...

  Big encyclopedic dictionary

• - dolphins pl. A family of marine mammals of the suborder of toothed whales...

  Dictionary Efremova

• - Two handles on the middle part of the gun...

  Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

"River Dolphins" in books

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins Cetaceans (Cetacea) can be found in almost all seas. These include not only huge whales, but also much smaller dolphins, which will mainly interest us. Whales are descended from land mammals, most likely

The first dolphins

The first dolphins It happened in the Red Sea. I was seven years old. On the steamboat, we sailed with the whole family from China to France. My brother and I were on the lower bridge, a few meters from the mirror-like surface of the sea, in the company of the chief onboard mechanic, who was always ready

Humans and Dolphins

Humans and Dolphins - Do you love animals? - unexpectedly asked Ranevskaya. - It depends on which ones, - the Psychologist admitted. - For example, I like dogs more than cats. - No, I mean just animals. Wild, - explained Ranevskaya. - Not those who are considered friends

Reeds and dolphins

author Burkin Yuly Sergeevich

Reeds and dolphins I here, I remember, told what an idiot I was at the beginning of my journalistic career. But, by the way, there are boobies worse than mine. Several girls from my group went to Odessa for practice, to the newspaper "Odessa Rabochiy". And when they returned, they told

What do dolphins drink?

From the book The Book of General Delusions author Fry Stephen

What do dolphins drink? Dolphins don't drink at all. The dolphin is like an animal in the desert with no access to fresh water. He receives liquid from food (consisting mostly of squid and fish), as well as burning fats in his body, as a result of which water is released. Dolphins are the same whales;

50. Dolphins

From the book We are from underwater space author Kasatonov Valery Fedorovich

50. Dolphins Navy USSR Kalganov Viktor Andreevich phone rang. "Russian Otto Skorzeny" called to

fighting dolphins

From the book Personal Brand. Take care of your reputation before others do author Sitkins Patrick

Fighting Dolphins I played football. AT student years Patrick was a member of the baseball team. When he was a freshman at the University of Jacksonville, that year's baseball season was very busy, with the varsity team playing at the highest level.

From the book Infobusiness at full capacity [Doubling Sales] author Parabellum Andrey Alekseevich

Look, dolphins! You must understand what your the target audience and how you will "play" with it: manage, direct - call it what you want. Plan for sharp turns. The correct form of training will bring the appropriate results, and effective training

Acrobat Dolphins

From the book The Complete Encyclopedia of Our Delusions author Mazurkevich Sergey Alexandrovich

Acrobatic Dolphins Many of us have seen pods of dolphins jump out of the waves with graceful and coordinated jumps. Why do dolphins need such acrobatics? Many children think that dolphins play like this. Perhaps the children are right about something, just like the scientists,

Dolphins

From the book Big Soviet Encyclopedia(DE) author TSB

Dolphins

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary (G-D) author Brockhaus F. A.

river dolphins

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (RE) of the author TSB

Kay and the Dolphins

From book Inner world injury. Archetypal Defenses of the Personal Spirit author Kalshed Donald

Kay and the Dolphins Those psychotherapists who have worked with traumatized patients quite often experienced happy moments when they discovered the amazing power of the psyche to protect life, or, more precisely, they could

Dolphins

From the book What he doesn't know modern science author Team of authors

Dolphins Execution cannot be pardonedThe dolphin is the only marine animal that can make friends with a person. One of the first about such amazing friendship tells in his natural history» Pliny the Elder. In the Mediterranean, on the north coast

Amazing marine inhabitants, dolphins are mammals, and by no means fish, despite the fact that they spend their whole lives in water element. These creatures are very beautiful and smart, therefore they are kept by man in artificially created aquariums and are used as a very original therapy.

Brief introduction

Dolphins belong to the mammals of the cetacean order. There are several genera of such animals, differing in structural features and body size, but they are all predators. Dolphin habitat for most species - sea ​​water, only some representatives of this family are found in rivers.

These animals are distinguished by the ability to develop quite impressive speed in the water, they are mobile, curious, and the latter Scientific research proved that their brains are well developed, much stronger than the hemispheres of chimpanzees.

Beautiful marine inhabitants use fish as food, and the following species are most preferred for them:

• anchovies;
• sardine;
• horse mackerel;
• mackerel.

Also in the diet of dolphins are squid and shellfish. Moreover, the diet largely depends on the habitat of the described animals.

Where do they live

You can meet these smart mammals exclusively in the water element, they live in almost all corners of the planet Earth, except for the Arctic and Antarctic. Most of them prefer the vastness of the oceans and seas, however, as already mentioned, some species are also found in large freshwater rivers.

Telling in which climate zone dolphins live, we can mention:

• moderate;
• subtropical;
• tropical.

At the same time, mammals can travel long distances, leaving one belt and entering another.

Examples

There are several genera of aquatic mammals, each of which prefers its own body of water. Let's find out what climate zone dolphins live in various kinds and childbirth:

• Bottlenose dolphins are common in warm waters Atlantic Ocean, from temperate to subtropical climate zone.
• Short-headed dolphins prefer the temperate climate zone, some of them swim even further into the zones
• White flanks - common members of the family - inhabit the Mediterranean and Black Sea, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, preferring warm to moderate temperature water.
• Amazonian river dolphins live in estuaries, other fresh water bodies, sometimes they even move to flooded forests.

River dolphins are also found in such rivers as the Brahmaputra, Indus, Orinoco, Ganges. Among the mammals, there are inhabitants of the lakes - dolphins were found in the Chinese reservoirs Poyanghu and Dongtinghu.

In Russia

Consider the habitat of dolphins in Russia. These are the three seas:

• Black;
• Barents;
• Baltic.

In addition, swum bottlenose dolphins can sometimes be found in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

A rare species listed in the Red Book is the Atlantic white-sided dolphin. Prefers harsh waters Barents Sea. The average size body of this marine life small, no more than 3 meters. You can recognize them by the characteristic color of the sides, which are decorated with a long strip of white or light yellow color. This species is distinguished by great caution; it rarely swims up to ships, and therefore is poorly studied.

The Black Sea is home to three species of dolphins:

• Porpoises (they can also be seen in the Baltic Sea).
• White-sided.
• bottlenose dolphins.

Let's take a closer look at the life features of Russian aquatic mammals.

Or Azov, - small creatures, their weight does not exceed 30 kg, body length adult- no more than 1.5 m. They feed on small fish species, less often invertebrates. To obtain food, they dive to a depth of more than 70 m, where they are able to stay for more than 5 minutes.

White flanks of the Black Sea are small representatives of their family. Their length rarely exceeds 2 m. sharp teeth, the number of which is about 200 pieces, and due to the white color of the belly, they are easily recognizable. This creature can stay in the water for about 8 minutes, and jumps out of it to a height of more than 5 m.

Finally, bottlenose dolphins are the largest representatives of the dolphin family. They are protected, but once a year several of these mammals can be caught for aquariums.

A selection of interesting facts

We examined the climate zone in which dolphins live. The answer is in the tropics, subtropics and temperate zone. We offer you to familiarize yourself with a number of interesting facts related to these mammals:

• The communication of these unusual creations of nature occurs through ultrasound, but they perfectly imitate the voices of other living beings, including the human one.
• Dolphins have complex emotions, they can feel compassion and have fun.
• Despite the fact that the jaw of a dolphin has more than a hundred teeth, they do not chew their food, but swallow it whole.
• They can recognize their reflection in the mirror.
• Some species are able to stay awake for more than 5 days without damage to health.
• Females bear offspring for 9-16 months, always give birth to one cub, which may not sleep for 30 days, forcing the mother to a long wakefulness.
• If in the waters of the seas and oceans mammals live up to 50 years, then in captivity their life span is reduced by more than 2 times.

We examined the climatic zone in which dolphins live, and also got acquainted with some interesting facts from their life. Dolphins are amazingly intelligent creatures, watching which will bring real joy to both children and adults.

Among the variety of dolphins inhabiting warm waters of our planet, there is a group of freshwater or river dolphins. Different types these mammals live in the Amazon, the rivers and lakes of China, in the rivers of India. Representatives of the river dolphin family are the most ancient among their relatives. It is believed that they have a more primitive structure compared to sea ​​dolphins. There are fewer convolutions in their brains, the dorsal fin is usually absent, and the head has a characteristic elongated narrow beak, like theirs. ancient ancestor- squalodont. But the special structure of the cervical vertebrae allows river dolphins to turn their heads in relation to the body up to 90º, which their marine relatives are deprived of.

One of the species of river dolphins is the Gangetic dolphin, or susuk. Some researchers identify two certain types: Gangetic dolphin and small Gangetic dolphin. He lives in the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. Gangetic dolphin has light gray color and a long beak, slightly thickening towards the end, and its dorsal fin is practically not developed. But this species is interesting in that it is practically blind. Gangetic dolphins have rather small eyes, which lack a lens, but have receptors that can capture sunlight. That is, they are able to capture only the source of light, everything else is hardly distinguishable for them. But if you think about it, this is not surprising. After all, these dolphins live in muddy waters Ganges, in which the concentration of suspended solids is high. Therefore, even with good eyesight, it's hard to see anything there. That's what nature has decided acute vision These dolphins don't care. Similar evolutionary metamorphoses can be observed, for example, in moles, which also lost their sight as unnecessary. How then do Gangetic dolphins find food and communicate with each other? Everything is simple. Although these river mammals have a more primitive body structure, they have developed acoustic abilities, like their marine relatives. The ability to echolocation helps them to easily navigate in space, hunt and find their own kind.

Unfortunately, in recent decades, the number of representatives of this amazing view is shrinking. According to rough estimates, their number is only a few thousand individuals. To date, this dolphin is categorized as an endangered species. But this is not due to the hunting of these animals (it is almost never carried out), but due to changes in their traditional habitats. The fact is that due to the construction of hydroelectric power stations on the rivers of the region, the habitat of these dolphins was divided into several sections. So, for example, the Ganges dolphins are divided into four isolated populations after the construction of the dams. International group scientists are developing measures to build bypass channels for dolphins to remedy the situation. Therefore, it can be hoped that this species will not be threatened with extinction in the near future.