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Dolphin

Common dolphin with calfCommon DolphinCommon DolphinCommon Dolphins
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Dolphin Facts

Kingdom:
Five groups that classify all living things
Animalia
Phylum:
A group of animals within the animal kingdom
Chordata
Class:
A group of animals within a pylum
Mammalia
Order:
A group of animals within a class
Cetacean
Family:
A group of animals within an order
Delphinidae
Scientific Name:
The name of the animal in science
Delphinus Delphis
Type:
The animal group that the species belongs to
Mammal
Diet:
What kind of foods the animal eats
Carnivore
Size (L):
How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is
2m - 4m (6.5ft - 13ft)
Weight:
The measurement of how heavy the animal is
100kg - 300kg (220lbs - 660lbs)
Top Speed:
The fastest recorded speed of the animal
40km/h (25mph)
Lifespan:
How long the animal lives for
20 - 45 years
Lifestyle:
Whether the animal is solitary or sociable
Pod
Conservation Status:
The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct
Threatened
Colour:
The colour of the animal's coat or markings
Black, White, Grey
Skin Type:
The protective layer of the animal
Smooth
Favourite Food:
The preferred food of this animal
Fish
Habitat:
The specific area where the animal lives
Temperate coastal waters, harbours and bays
Average Litter Size:
The average number of babies born at once
1
Main Prey:
The food that the animal gains energy from
Fish, Crab, Squid
Predators:
Other animals that hunt and eat the animal
Human, Sharks, Killer Whale
Distinctive Features:
Characteristics unique to this animal
Rounded dorsal in and striped skin

Dolphin Location

Map of Dolphin Locations

Dolphin

The term common dolphin tends to refer to the short-beaked common dolphin and the long-beaked common dolphin that are found in warmer seas worldwide.

The common dolphin is generally found around the Mediterranean Sea but are also commonly seen in deep off-shore waters and to a lesser extent over continental shelves that are preferred to shallower waters. Some populations of dolphin may be present all year round, others appear to move in a migratory pattern.

Common dolphins travel in groups of around 10-50 in number and frequently gather into schools numbering 100 to 2000 individuals. These schools are generally very active socially with groups often surfacing, jumping and splashing together. Typical dolphin behaviour includes breaching, tail-slapping, chin-slapping, bow-riding and porpoising.

Common dolphins are among the fastest swimming marine mammals, with some possibly reaching speeds of over 40 km/h. Dolphins have been known to use both their speed and large group sizes to develop different ways of hunting prey.

View all 24 animals that start with D.

Related Animals

Bottlenose DolphinBottlenose Dolphin
Stays in groups from 15 to 2,000 in number!'
Dusky DolphinDusky Dolphin
Communicates using whistles, squeaks and clicks!
River DolphinRiver Dolphin
There are 4 species in the Southern Hemisphere!

Dolphin Translations

Deutsch
Gemeiner Delfin
English
Common Dolphin
Magyar
Közönséges delfin
日本語
マイルカ
Nederlands
Gewone dolfijn
Polski
Delfin zwyczajny
Svenska
Delfin
Türkçe
Tırtak

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First Published: 10th December 2008, Last Updated: 10th September 2018

Sources:
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 10 Dec 2008]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2010]
4. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 10 Dec 2008]
5. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2009]
6. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 10 Dec 2008]