Diagram of a Dolphin
|
 |
| Bones |
| Dolphins' bones are softer than the ones that
land animals have. They are filled with fat and oil. There are
only two bones where the hip bone and back legs used to be. |
| Blubber |
| Heat is lost in water very fast. To keep
heat from leaving the body, the dolphin has a thick layer of
fat just below its skin. Blubber holds in its body heat, and
keeps out the cold. The dolphin also has special blood vessels
that soak up heat and carry it back to the center of the body.
A dolphin's temperature is normally 96 degrees F to 98 degrees
F. A dolphin's body can overheat if it swims fast over a long
period of time. Overheating can cause a dolphin to get too tired
and die. |
| Flippers, Fins and Flukes |
| All dolphins have two flippers and
a tail fin. Most dolphins also have a dorsal fin on their backs.
Another name for the tail fin is fluke. The dolphin uses its
fluke to push itself forward in the water. There are no bones
to hold up a dolphin's tail fin. Tough strands of tissue called
ligaments harden the tail fin and attach it to the tail vertebrae. |
| Eyes |
| Dolphins' eyes are different from ours; they
can see under water and in the air, and their eyes can move different
ways. One of their eyes can move up and one can look to the side. |
| Muscles |
| A dolphin's face muscles are below a thick layer
of blubber. The jaw bones, blubber, and skin make a dolphin's
face. Even when it is afraid or angry, a dolphin looks like it
is smiling. |
| Blowhole |
| A dolphin needs to know the exact time that its
blow hole hits the surface, so that it doesn't breathe in water
and drown. A dolphin has a lot of feeling around its blow hole.
It can feel the differences between water and air. |