The most well known and loved of all dolphin species is the Bottlenose Dolphin. They are attractive because they always seem to be smiling. This is due to the curved element on their face that turns upward on both sides as when a human is smiling.
This is a large sized dolphin with a body size ranging from 10 feet to 14 feet long. They can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. The average length though is 6 ½ feet to 12 feet and the average weight is from 330 pounds to 440 pounds. The overall size will vary based on their location. Studies show those that live in cooler bodies of water are larger than those living in the warmer temperatures.
The body of the Bottlenose Dolphin is very sleek and it is streamlined to help them move through the water with ease. They have skin that is smooth is it feels like rubber when you touch it. They don’t have any sweat glands or hair on the body. The outer layer of the skin is anywhere from 10 to 20 times thicker than that of terrestrial mammals.
The skin will flake and peel to allow for the old skin cells to fall off and for new ones to replace them. The Bottlenose Dolphin though does this very fast, and they may have a new outer layer of skin every couple of hours! This ensures that the skin remains smooth and that they are able to swim without any resistance. They have a short beak and they have flippers that are pointed. They are medium to dark gray in color with a lighter shade of gray on the flanks. The belly may be pink or white.
They have pectoral flippers as their forelimbs, and they are similar to the skeletal format of mammals on land that have forelimbs. However, those of the dolphin are modified and they are shorter. They are also supported by plenty of connective tissue. As the blood circulates through these flippers, it helps the Bottlenose Dolphin to be able to maintain the right body temperature.
(source:google/http://www.dolphins-world.com/)
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