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Informations - Adaptation for an aquatic environment
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Swimming
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Bottlenose dolphins can swim at speeds of 18 to 22mph (29 to 35 Kph).
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Dolphins usually cruse at much slower speeds between 5 and 7mph (8 to 11 kph).
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Diving
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Bottlenose dolphins generally do not need to dive very deep to catch food. Dolphins are capable of diving to depths of 1000 ft.
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It is possible for dives to last up to 15 minutes.
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Respiration
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The average respiration rate is two to five times per minutes.
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During each respiration a dolphin exchanges 85% to 95% of its lung air (humans exchange 5% to 15%).
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Unlike terrestrial mammals, which breathe automatically, cetaceans breathe voluntarily. This adaptation serves a mammal that lives in water yet must surface to breathe.
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Dolphins breathe through a blowhole located on top of the head.
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Sleep
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Dolphins must maintain voluntary control over respiration so dolphins don't actually sleeps, but rather, rests in a semi-alert state, like cat napping.
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Dolphins rest by turning off half their brain at a time for approximately 15 minutes on each side.
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Diet
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Dolphins eat an average of 45 to 50 lbs of fish per day.
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Pregnant or nursing dolphins eats approximately 1/3 more.
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Dolphins are active predators and eat a wide variety of fish.
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Dolphins desire specific fish at different times of the year.
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Dolphins often cooperate while hunting and catching fish.
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Dolphins have been observed sharing food with their own kind and various birds.
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Dolphins demonstrate both competitive, aggressive and social behaviors toward each other and other wildlife, like stingrays, turtles fish and birds.
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