3. What do Dolphins Eat?
The food each species
eats is different based on
where they live.
Dolphins eat fish and
some even eat squid.
Large dolphins, like the
killer whale (Orca) eat
marine animals like
seals, sea lions, and sea
turtles.
4. Who Makes up the Dolphin Family?
The male dolphin is
called a bull
The female dolphin is
called a cow
The baby dolphin is
called a calf
When in groups they are
called a Pod.
7. 1a. Dolphins are Born with Hair
A few hairs on the side of the rostrum (beak). These fall out within
the first week. We think they have hair because…
8. 1b. They Were Once Land Animals
How do we know?
By looking at fossils
They lived on land about 50
million years ago.
Scientists believe that they
fished in shallow waters and
after they moved into the
water they stopped needing
legs and started needing fins.
Evolution took care of that.
9. 2. Dolphins Get Water from Their Food
The fish and squid that dolphins enjoy eating most
have large amounts of water in them and dolphins get
it from eating them. Dolphins do not need any extra
water because they do not sweat like we do.
10. 3. Different Species
We all recognize the Bottlenose dolphin.
There are actually 32 species of oceanic dolphins! There
are also 5 species of dolphins living in rivers.
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin & White Sided Dolphin are both found in
the North Atlantic Ocean. Hector’s Dolphin –
Found in New Zealand
11. More Dolphins…
Most river dolphins are blind, except for the pink dolphin. River dolphins have
something that looks like fingers on the tips of their flippers.
Pink River Dolphin –
Found in the Amazon rivers
in South America Chinese (Yangzte) River Dolphin
Species – it groups together animals that have common characteristics.
Mammals have hair or fur, are warm blooded, and the female mothers feed milk to the babies.
Fossil – bones or remains that have been preserved for millions of years. Shallow – not deep water. A couple of feet of water. Evolution – to grow slowly