Directions: At least 26 different kinds of dolphins live in the world's oceans and-in some cases-rivers. Find out more about these highly intelligent animals below. Click on the links to find each answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, or the reproducible provided by your teacher.

This page includes links outside of Scholastic.com

Name: ___________________________________________

1. Did you know that dolphins and whales are close cousins? Both belong to a group of mammals called _____________, from a Greek word meaning “whale.” In fact, dolphins are toothed whales.

Find the answer at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/dolphin/about2.htm#q1

2. Porpoises are also related to dolphins, but they are very different animals. You can tell them apart because dolphins have a prominent ________ and a curved or hooked ________________________.

Find the answer at: www.acsonline.org/education/curriculum/dolphins-porpoises.html

3. Dolphins, like other mammals, need air to survive. Instead of a nose, they use a blowhole located __________________________________. This lets them take breaths quickly and easily while they swim.

Find the answer at: http://library.thinkquest.org/17963/respiratory-system.html

4. The famous killer whale, or orca, is actually a dolphin, the biggest dolphin in the world. Its babies are about ____________ feet long at birth. That’s bigger than most other kinds of adult dolphins!

Find the answer at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/dolphin/about3.htm#q1

5. The most recognizable type of dolphin in the world is the gray bottlenose, which gets its name from its __________________________. 

Find the answer at: www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bottledolphin.shtml

6. Bottlenose dolphins live in groups called pods. They are social animals who love to “talk” to one another! How? _______________________________________________
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Find the answer at: www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0108/dolphins2.html

7. A dolphin has a special way of navigating. It uses an organ called the ___________ to send out high-pitched clicks, then “hears” the sounds bouncing back.  

Find the answer at: www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/glossary/Echolocation.shtml

8. Dolphins are very active animals and fast swimmers, so they need a lot of energy. In a single day, most dolphins eat 13 to 33 pounds of ______________________, while orcas eat as much as 100 pounds! 

Find the answer at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/dolphin/about4.htm#q1

9. Dolphins are sometimes called “ambassadors of the sea.” Why do you think they are so popular with  humans? ________________________________________________
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Find the answer at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin#Dolphin_behaviour