Back to the home page  
Canada's Species   Mammals

Bottlenosed Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Photo:OAR/NURP, NOAA
Bottlenosed Dolphin. Photo:OAR/NURP, NOAA

The bottlenosed dolphin is without doubt the most well known member of the order Cetacea. Its habits have been extensively studied along with its physiology and behavior. Bottlenosed dolphins are extremely social and are seen in groups of twenty to twenty-five individuals. These animals are cooperative among one another, as they will aid wounded individuals to the surface to breathe, or help a birthing mother and her newborn calf to the surface. Bottlenosed dolphins are perhaps the second most intelligent animal on this planet, as they have the second highest ratio of brain weight to body weight (1.17 for the dolphins and 2.1 for humans).

Map of Bottlenosed Dolphin in Canada
Distribution of Bottlenosed Dolphin in Canada

   
Back to the main Mammals page  
   
Previous species: Blue Dolphin  
   
Next species: Grey Whale