Bottlenose Dolphin Skull Replica
$393.00
This specimen features a robust, broad rostrum housing 22 pairs of conical teeth in the upper jaw and 22 pairs in the lower jaw. The cranium exhibits directional asymmetry around the dorsal nares and contains small, laterally positioned eye sockets.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Bottlenose Dolphin Skull Replica measures 19.2L x 9.4W x 7.7H in. Bottlenose dolphin skull replica is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of original specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). Made in USA.
The bottlenose dolphin or Tursiops truncatus is the most well-known species from the family Delphinidae.
Bottlenose dolphins are grey in color and may be between 6.6 and 13.1 ft. long, and weighs between 330 and 1,430 lb. Dolphins have a short and well-defined snout that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle.
Their diets consist mainly of eels, squid, shrimp and a wide variety of fishes. They do not chew their food, instead swallowing it whole.
They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echoes to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey.
Bottlenose dolphins weigh an average of 660 pounds. It can reach a length of just over 13 feet. Its color is usually dark gray on the back and lighter gray on the flanks.
The bottlenose dolphin has elongated upper and lower jaws form what is called a rostrum, or snout, which gives the animal its common name.
The real, functional nose is the blowhole on top of its head; the nasal septum is visible when the blowhole is open. Bottlenose dolphins have 18 to 28 conical teeth on each side of each jaw.
The flukes (lobes of the tail) and dorsal fin are formed of dense connective tissue and do not contain bone or muscle. The dorsal fin usually shows phenotypic variations that help discriminate among populations.
The animal propels itself by moving the flukes up and down. The pectoral flippers (at the sides of the body) are for steering.
Bottlenose dolphins can live for more than 40 years. Females typically live 5 to 10 years longer than males, with some females exceeding 60 years.
This extreme age is rare and less than 2 percent of all bottlenose dolphins will live longer than 60 years. Bottlenose dolphins can jump at a height of 20 feet up in the air.
Scientific Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Infraorder: Cetacea
- Family: Delphinidae
- Genus: Tursiops
- Species: Tursiops truncatus
- Type species: Delphinus truncatus Montagu, 1821
- Conservation Status: Least concern (IUCN 3.1)
As a standard for marine mammal anatomy, the bottlenose dolphin serves as a perfect morphological baseline for comparison with the Pacific white-sided dolphin skull.
The stocky, bottle-shaped snout of this replica offers a clear anatomical counterpoint to the elongated and delicate jaw of the pantropical spotted dolphin.
Additional information
| Weight | 35 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 19.2 × 9.4 × 7.7 in |