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Risso's dolphin - GRAMPUS GRISEUS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Dolphin": "Dolphin" is an old Greek word for the animal itself. Does "Grampus griseus" mean the "old gray grandfather?" No. "Grampus" is a combination of two French words meaning "fat fish" (see the "poise" in "porpoise"). So this is just a "fat fish gray."
Location: Almost all temperate and tropical seas.
Habitat: Aquatic. Deep waters immediately off the coast.
Description: The Risso's color is quite variable but is usually gray and paler forward of the dorsal fin, but, particularly in younger individuals, while the back is bluish. The belly has two whitish areas, but the coloring fades with age. There are no teeth in the upper jaw, but in the lower jaw there are 2 to 7 teeth on each side which are about one and 1/2 inches long. The first six cervical vertebrae are fused and form a single structure with the seventh very slender vertebra. Total length up to 13 ft, weight to 1550 lbs.
Behavior: This dolphin usually lives in small groups of 2 to 5 individuals, but groups can sometimes number up to 50. It does not swim very fast but shows considerable endurance. It can remain underwater for up to half an hour if necessary, but normally surfaces in a few minutes. It can be found in all seas at all times of the year, although it is seen most frequently in more temperate seas in the winter months. It feeds primarily on cuttlefish.
Reproduction: In the Northern Hemisphere the single young is born in December and is about half the length of its mother.
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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