DESCRIPTION:

Dolphins probably rank among the most intelligent marine mammals. The bottlenose dolphin gets its name from its bottle-shaped snout.

SIZE:

Bottlenose dolphins typically weigh 440 to 600 pounds and reach an average size of 10 feet (some reach as much as 14 feet).

POPULATION:

The exact worldwide population of the bottlenose dolphin is not known. In the eastern tropical Pacific the population is estimated to be 243,500, while in the waters of Japan the population estimates are as low as 37,000.

LIFESPAN:

Bottlenose dolphins often live 30 to 50 years.

RANGE:

Dolphins can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

HABITAT:

Bottlenose dolphins prefer warm to tropical water.

FOOD:

Dolphins consume 13 to 33 pounds of food per day. They feed on a variety of fish, cephalopods (such as squid and octopus), and other sea life. They use echolocation — bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location — to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey.

BEHAVIOR:

Bottlenose dolphins are social animals well known for their playful and carefree nature. They sometimes hunt in groups and herd schools of fish toward shore for feeding. Social hierarchies have been noted in dolphin interactions.

OFFSPRING:

Females produce one offspring every two to three years after a gestation period of 12 months. Young stay with their mothers for one year. Sometimes, the mother will get help from another female (referred to as an "auntie") in caring for offspring.

THREATS:

In 1990, "Dolphin Safe" labels (certifying that no dolphins were encircled to catch tuna) were placed on tuna cans, reducing dolphin deaths in tuna nets by 97 percent. Pressure from foreign trading nations has weakened the standards of the current label. Defenders of Wildlife has filed a lawsuit to help save the dolphins. Write to Secretary Donald L. Evans, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230 and let him know how you feel about actions that may harm dolphins.

PROTECTION:

*CITES, Appendix II

*Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with more than 144 member countries. Appendix I species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.

• Learn More about Dolphins