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DOLPHIN

Dolphins have great appeal and their frolicking close off-shore and their bow-riding give much pleasure to human observers. About the difference between dolphins and porpoises there has been considerable confusion and sometimes the same animal has been called by both names. There is, however, a technical difference: a few species in the family Delphinidae have spade-shaped teeth and these are the true porpoises. All the rest are dolphins All dolphins and porpoises belong in the whale group (Order Cetacea). Generally, if it is less than 3 metres in length, the animal will be regarded as a dolphin or porpoise. 
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Dolphins, like whales, produce a wide variety of sounds. The most common are high-pitched clicks and whistles. These serve as a means of communication about which Man probably has much to learn. Dolphins also use sound as a kind of sonar, as do bats, in which sounds are bounced off objects and the location of such objects (or prey) can be determined by the nature of the returned signals. 

Of all dolphins it is the Bottle-nosed Dolphin which is most famous for its association with Man both in the wild and in captivity. Dolphins not only entertain but have of recent years, in the  wild and in close contact with humans, been used for therapy of various kinds.