Dolphin lifespan5/7/2023 ![]() Male dolphins typically mate with multiple females every year, but females only mate every two to three years. Dolphins feed largely on fish and squid, but a few, such as the orca, feed on large mammals such as seals. Most species prefer the warm waters of the tropic zones, but some, such as the right whale dolphin, prefer colder climates. They have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the skin to keep warm in the cold water.ĭolphins are widespread. Some species are well adapted for diving to great depths. It is so well developed that some can survive even if they are blind. They have well-developed hearing which is adapted for both air and water. Dolphins use their conical teeth to capture fast-moving prey. Though not quite as flexible as seals, some dolphins can briefly travel at speeds of 29 kilometres (18 mi) per hour or leap about 30 feet (9.1 m). They have streamlined bodies and two limbs that are modified into flippers. Various species of dolphins exhibit sexual dimorphism where the males are larger than females. There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.ĭolphins range in size from the 1.7-metre-long (5 ft 7 in) and 50-kilogram (110-pound) Maui's dolphin to the 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) and 10-tonne (11-short-ton) orca. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin). Virginia Hayssen et al.A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea.Don Wilson and Sue Ruff (1999), The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals.Ronald Nowak (1999), Walker's Mammals of the World.Ernest (2003), Life history characteristics of placental non-volant mammals.Richard Weigl (2005), Longevity of Mammals in Captivity from the Living Collections of the World.(2011), Physiology of aging among healthy, older bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): comparisons with aging humans (PubMed) ![]() (2011), Comparative biology of mammalian telomeres: hypotheses on ancestral states and the roles of telomeres in longevity determination (PubMed) (2015), Evaluation of annual survival and mortality rates and longevity of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at the United States Navy Marine Mammal Program from 2004 through 2013 (PubMed) (2019), Telomere shortening rate predicts species life span (PubMed) No information on metabolism is available. Life history traits (averages) Female sexual maturity 2,831 days Male sexual maturity 3,689 days Gestation 365 days Weaning Litter size 1 (viviparous) Litters per year 0.5 Inter-litter interval 858 days Weight at birth 19,350 g Weight at weaning Adult weight 200,000 g Postnatal growth rate Metabolism Ī study comparing bottlenosed dolphins and 7 other species concluded that the rate of telomere shortening was a strong predictor of lifespan, unlike telomere length. ![]() One captive female was still alive at 51.6 years of age. 671 Sample size Medium Data quality Acceptable ObservationsĮstimates suggest that males may live up to 39 years in the wild and females up to 49 years. Species Tursiops truncatus Common name Bottlenosed dolphin Synonyms Tursiops gephyreus, Delphinus truncatus Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits Maximum longevity 51.6 years (captivity) Source ref. AnAge entry for Tursiops truncatus Classification (HAGRID: 01955) Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia
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