Types of Dolphins - All Kinds of Dolphins

When most people think of dolphins, the bottlenose dolphin usually comes to mind. But an interesting fact is that there are over 45 types of dolphins. Dolphins can be found all over the globe.

All types of dolphins are categorized as Cetaceans, along with whales. The types of dolphins can be divided into marine dolphins and river dolphins. The saltwater types of dolphins are subdivided into 17 genera and river types of dolphins have four genera.

One of the types of dolphins is actually the killer whale. Yes, that is correct. The killer whale is technically a dolphin. There are six animals that are types of dolphins, but known as whales. They are also called blackfish. These types of dolphins are the Killer Whale, Pygmy Killer Whale, False Killer Whale, Long-finned Pilot Whale, Short-finned Pilot Whale, and Melon-headed Whale.

The different types of dolphins vary in appearance. Dolphins can be dark or light gray or a brownish color. Dolphins come in many sizes. Dolphins range in size from about four feet in length up to about 20 feet long. Dolphins can weigh about 70 pounds up to five tons.

All types of dolphins are carnivores. Dolphins are predators and eat live food. The dolphin diet consists mostly of fish and shellfish. Dolphins average over 50 pounds of fish a day.

Dolphins are not fish. All types of dolphins are mammals, just like humans. Dolphins are warm-blooded, give birth to babies, and have a small amount of hair on their bodies. These traits help classify dolphins as mammals.

There are two types of marine dolphins that are at risk of possible becoming extinct. They are the Pink Dolphin and Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin. Both of these types of dolphins can be found off the coasts of Asia. There are also two types of river dolphins that are in danger- the Yangtze River dolphin and the Indus River dolphin.