bottlenose+dolphins

=The Bottlenosed Dolphin= The bottlenosed dolphin is the most comon type of dolphin in the world. Although biochemical evidence supports the existence of other speicies of bottlenose dolphin geographically, scientists only recognise one spiecies of the mammal. The Dolphins first appeared in the fossil state around 5 million years ago. Bottlenose dolphins inhabit most of the worlds watersand in the Northwest atlantic ocean there is at least two eco-types (forms) of the mammal.

Food preferences and resources..
Dolphins are active predators and eat a wide variety of fishes, squids, and crustaceans such as shrimps. The foods available to a dolphin vary with its geographic location (Barros and Odell, 1990). Methods of collecting food. 1 . Feeding behavior is flexible and adapted to a dolphin's particular habitat and available food resources. 2. Dolphins do not chew their food. Usually they swallow fish whole, head first, so the spines of the fish won't catch in their throats. They break larger fish by shaking them or rubbing them on the ocean floor. 3. Hunting strategies are varied and diverse. a. Bottlenose dolphins often cooperate when hunting and catching fish. (1) In open waters, a dolphin pod sometimes encircles a large school of fish and herds them into a small, dense mass, sometimes using their tail flukes to stun the fish. The dolphins take turns charging through the school to feed. (2) Occasionally dolphins herd schools of fish against a sand bar or shoreline to trap them in shallow water where they are easy prey (Shane, et al., 1986). b. Dolphins also feed on individual, nonschooling fishes (Shane, 1990). c. To hunt larger fishes, a bottlenose dolphin may use its tail flukes to kick a fish out of the water, then retrieve the stunned prey (Shane, 1990). d. Bottlenose dolphins often feed in association with fishing operations. Dolphins in Texas bays frequently accompany shrimp boats. They feed on fishes that are caught incidentally in trawl nets intended for shrimps (Fertl and Wursig, 1993). A pod of dolphins sometimes encircles a school of fish and herds them into a tight ball for feeding.

Calving.
1. Calves are born in the water. Deliveries can be either tail-first or head-first. The umbilical cord snaps during or soon after delivery. 2. Sometimes an assisting dolphin may stay close to the new mother and calf. Although this assisting dolphin often is referred to as an "auntie" dolphin, it may be male or female. This "auntie" dolphin is often the only other dolphin a mother allows near her calf (Herman, 1980).

Info from http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Bottlenose/home.html