Have you ever wondered how the dolphin Tursiops Truncatus got its name? It got its name from its nose, which is short and stubby. The coloration of the Tursiops Truncatus is different from that of other dolphins. Their physical appearance is intriguing and distinctive. They have a fascinating family life and eating habits. You can also see bottlenose dolphins in many places in the United States. Their main home is the Pacific Ocean, but they also live in many other places. The coloration of bottlenose dolphins is unique. It is light gray on top and pale pink on the bottom. This coloration helps disguise itself from its predators. The light gray coloration helps blend in with the shadows in the water. The coloration of the underside, a pale pink, helps the calves (babies) find their mothers. Bottlenose dolphins have short, stubby beaks. Many think it is shaped like a glass bottle. The nose is curved downwards with a hint of a bottle shape. The scientific name, which few know, is Tursiops Truncatus. This is why they have the common name “Bottlenose dolphin”. Both names are descriptive, but the common name is more easily understood. The size and weight of a bottlenose dolphin can vary greatly. They are usually six to twelve feet long! Bottlenose dolphins can also average between one hundred and fifty pounds and two hundred pounds. You wouldn't think they weigh a hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds, but they really weigh that much. Males are significantly larger than bottle-nosed females. This explains the size variation mentioned above. The dolphin is quite interesting. They have a tall, falcate (curved) dorsal fin. Tip-to-tip flukes are up to twenty-four inches or two feet long. ...... middle of paper ...... 31, 2011.5. Leatherwood, Stephen. The bottlenose dolphin. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Incorporated, 1990. Accessed September 14, 2011.6. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/bottlenose/dietdol.htmlAccessed 17 September 2011.7. http://www.dolphins-world.com/where_are_bottlenose_dolphins_found.htmlAccessed November 3, 2011.8. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Bottlenose/phychardol.htmlAccessed 4 December 2011.9. http://australian-animals.net/dolphin.htmAccessed 13 December 2011.10. Herzing, Denise L. Dolphin Diaries: My 25 Years with Dolphins in the Bahamas. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2011. Accessed December 27, 2011.11. http://www.math.utah.edu/~yplee/clement/Bottlenose_Dolphins.html Accessed January 4, 2012.