Interdependence:
Bonding:
The mother-calf relationship is usually long lasting, calves tend to stay with their mother three to six years. A female can always return to its mother or other female relatives to raise its own calves. On the other half, adult male pair bonds are strong and long but the association between males and females are short- lived.
The mother-calf relationship is usually long lasting, calves tend to stay with their mother three to six years. A female can always return to its mother or other female relatives to raise its own calves. On the other half, adult male pair bonds are strong and long but the association between males and females are short- lived.
Interaction:
Bottlenose dolphins are very interactive creatures. They have been seen with groups of toothed whales such as pilot whales, risso's dolphins, spotted dolphins, and rough-toothed dolphins. They have been seen riding the pressure waves of gray whales, humpback whales, and right whales. They've been observed chasing and displacing other species of dolphins from prime bow-riding spots in waves. Dolphins respond to sharks with tolerance, avoidance, and aggression. Tiger sharks draw out the strongest responses from dolphins. Dolphin's may seem like harmless creatures but they have actually been observed attacking, and sometimes killing, sharks in the wild. Dolphin's like interacting with others which is why some dolphins may approach divers, swimmers, or boaters. |
What do they eat?
They are active predators and eat a wide variety of fishes, squids, and crustaceans such as shrimps. The food that they eat varies depending on the geographic location. Coastal dolphins tend to eat fishes and bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Offshore dolphins tend to eat fishes and squid. Some offshore dolphins have been found with deep-sea fishes in their stomachs, suggesting that they can dive to more than 500 m (1600 ft). Adult dolphins eat approximately 4-6% of their body weight per day while nursing mothers eat approximately 8% of their body weight. |
|