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White-sided Dolphin

Nobody knows the reason for its stripes

White-sided dolphin

The white-sided dolphin, of which there are 5 species collectively known as the genus Lagenorhynchus, is related to the bottlenose and other dolphins. White sided dolphins are small, gregarious cetaceans, and live in troops of 8 to 15 individuals, though it has been known foe them to swim together in bands of between 1,000 and 1,500; congregations of this size, which have more the appearance of shoals of tunny fish than troops of mammals, are extremely rare however. Do such gatherings coincide with the start of migrations? Nobody knows, because relatively little is known about dolphins in their natural habitat. It has been observed that white-sided dolphins prefer to keep to the open sea far away from the coasts during summer, but that they come closer to loand duorionog the winter. For some reason this particular species of dolphin is often found in the company of the medium-sized pilot whale, and appears to be on excellent terms with them.
Like all dolphins our white-sided friend communicates with its fellow dolphins by means of high-frequency signals, emitted as shrill calls while its beak is closed. The beak of the white-sided dolphin is longer than that of the bottlenose dolphin and its jaws have any number of teeth between 22 and 45, as against the bottlenose dolphin's 20 to 26. These marine mammals feed on fish (they are very partial to herrings), various crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs, which they dive to great depths to find.
Unfortunately, dolphins were hunted by whaling fleets and their succulent meat was part of the diet of many peoples.

Gestation: approx. 300 days
Young born singly
Length at birth: 1 to 1.2 m (39 to 43 in)
Adult length: 3 m (9¾ ft) Weight:
70 to 100 kg (150 to 220 lbs)
Food requirement: 11 to 35 kg
(25 to 75 lbs) of fish daily Swims at speeds of 50 to 60 km/h
(31 to 37 mph) and capable of leaping
3 to 4.6 m (9½ to 15 ft) out of
the water White-sided dolphin
Phylum:
Vertebrata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Cetacea
Sub-order:
Odontoceti
Family:
Delphinidae
Genus and species:
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Some wildlife links for you to follow

DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY SCHOOL
THE NATURE COMPANY
ADVENTURE TRAVEL
THE FLAGSHIP STORE
AFRICA'S ELEPHANT KINGDOM

Gestation: approx. 300 days Young born singly Length at birth: 1 to 1.2 m (39 to 43 in) Adult length: 3 m (9¾ ft)	Weight: 70 to 100 kg (150 to 220 lbs) Food requirement: 11 to 35 kg (25 to 75 lbs) of fish daily	Swims at speeds of 50 to 60 km/h (31 to 37 mph) and capable of leaping 3 to 4.6 m (9½ to 15 ft) out of the water
Phylum: *Vertebrata*	Class: *Mammalia*	Order: *Cetacea*	Sub-order: *Odontoceti*	Family: *Delphinidae*	Genus and species: *Lagenorhynchus obliquidens*