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Spotted dolphin - STENELLA ATTENUATA
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Dolphin": "Dolphin" is an old Greek word for the animal itself.
Location: Tropical parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
Habitat: Aquatic. Deep ocean waters.
Description: The upper parts of the body are blackish, but the sides are grayish gradually fading on the underside to almost white. The fins are black and there is a black stripe running from the corner of the mouth to the lateral fins. The rostrum, or beak, is relatively short and very dark, and the eyes are surrounded by a black ring. The dorsal parts are covered with paler markings and the lower parts have darker spots, thus giving this dolphin its name, although these spots are not always easy to see. There are 37 to 39 teeth on each side of both the upper and lower jaw. Total length of this dolphin is up to 8 ft, and it weighs about 250 lbs.
Behavior: This dolphin lives in pods of from 20 to 50 individuals which hunt fish together. It can swim rapidly, reaching a speed of about 20 mph. Its distribution seems to be associated with the water temperature, which must range between 79 and 86 degrees fahrenheit.
Reproduction: After a gestation of 11 or 12 months, a single calf three to four feet long is born.
Note: In recent years, thousands of spotted dolphins have been trapped in nets set for tuna in the Pacific Ocean, and have drowned because they are unable to break free and reach the surface to breathe.
Go to the Cetacea Page to learn more about the other whale-like animals.
Go to the Index to compare the various Dolphins found in America Zoo.
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