Many species in the animal world communicate with each other, but not many to the extent that bottlenose dolphins do. Their communication is extensive and complex. A dolphin maintains an intricate social network that includes a few close associates (mother, calves, or pair-bonded males), plus more casual relationships with others who come and go within a larger groups. They're pretty much like us in this way. They hunt together. Pods of dolphins coordinate their movements to herd prey.
In water, sound travels 4-5 times faster than air. For this reason dolphins rely on sound for communication more than any other mode. It is believed that every bottle nosed dolphin develops a distinctive high-pitched whistle. The whistle appears to serve as a means of individual identification. It lets the rest of the pod know which pod members are nearby. Dolphins in distress sometimes emit their signature whistle very loudly. If a young dolphin becomes separated from it's mother, they will both whistle frequently until reunited.
Bottlenose dolphins also whistle while foraging on various prey. If they find a school of potential prey they will vocalize more frequently. Dolphins are capable of mimicking certain sounds very accurately. The reason they do this is still being studied. Body language may also play a role in dolphin communication. Researchers are still studying the many behaviors observed by dolphins to figure out what they mean. Bent head, rolling eyes, flex head and tail, headway, play dead and sideways head jerk with open or closed jaw are some of the body language behaviors dolphins exhibit. They're social animals, just like us, and use both vocal sounds and body language to communicate.
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