About Bottlenose Dolphins Bottlenose dolphins are the best known dolphins.[18] They are gray, varying from dark gray at the top near the dorsal fin to very light gray and almost white at the underside. This countershading makes it hard to see, both from above and below, when swimming. Their elongated upper and lower jaws form what is called a rostrum, or snout, which gives the animal its common name, the Bottlenose Dolphin. The real, functional nose is the blowhole on top of its head; the nasal septum is visible when the blowhole is open.Bottlenose dolphin head, showing rostrum and blowhole Adults range in length between 2 and 4 metres (6.6 and 13 ft), and in weight between 150 and 650 kilograms (330 and 1,400 lb)[19] with males being on average slightly longer and considerably heavier than females. In most parts of the world the adult's length is about 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) with weight ranges between 200 and 300 kilograms (440 and 660 lb).[2] Newborn bottlenose dolphins are between 0.8 and 1.4 meters long and weigh between 9 and 30 kilograms, with Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin infants generally smaller than Common Bottlenose Dolphin infants.[2] The size of a bottlenose dolphin varies considerably with habitat. Except for those in the eastern Pacific, dolphins in warmer, shallower waters tend to be smaller than those in cooler pelagic waters.[18] A survey of animals in the Moray Firth in Scotland, the world's second northernmost resident dolphin population, recorded an average adult length of just under 4 metres (13 ft) compared with a 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) average in a population off the coast of Florida. Those in colder waters also have more body fat and blood more suited to deeper diving. Bottlenose dolphins typically have 18%-20% of their bodyweight made up of blubber.[20] Most research in this area has been restricted to the North Atlantic Ocean, where researchers have identified two ecotypes.[21] Read more at wiki
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