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Indus River Dolphin Platanista Minor. Mariah Diaz March 29,2011 Ecology. Habitat. Biogeography realm Indo-Malayan Range States Pakistan Ecological Region Indus river Delta & Rann of Kutch . Characteristic. weighs 70-110 kg (155-245 lbs) broad flippers a flattened neck
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Indus River DolphinPlatanista Minor Mariah Diaz March 29,2011 Ecology
Habitat • Biogeography realm • Indo-Malayan Range States • Pakistan Ecological Region • Indus river Delta & Rann of Kutch
Characteristic • weighs 70-110 kg (155-245 lbs) • broad flippers • a flattened neck • elongated beak • rows of sharp teeth • Mid gray-brown color • Its eyes is functionally blind and has no lens in its tiny eye. • 30 and 36 sharp teeth
Diet • Shrimp • small fish • crustaceans • prawns • gobies • catfish • carp
Reproduction • approximately 10 months • believed that the babies are born in spring • baby is about 70 cm long • Babies stay close to their mother for the first six months of their life.
About it • not fish • come up to the surface for air • they give birth to live young • which feed on their mothers' milk • one of four river dolphin that lives in freshwater.
Endangered • Now remaining 1200 km stretch of the Indus River. • Past 40 years this practice led to the deaths of over 7 million dolphins • Numbers have dramatically declined
Behavior • comes to the surface to breathe about every 30 - 120 seconds • migrate upstream into the smaller tributaries during the monsoonrains • migrate downstream to the main channels in the dry season.
Age and Gender Distribution • A male female ratio of 2:1 has been reported • May be close to 30
Density • 3.6 individuals in the Sindh Dolphin Reserve between the Guddu and Sukkur • - 0.74 individuals between the Guddu and Taunsa • 0.28 individuals between the Taunsa and Chashma
How can we help? • adopting a dolphin at our Wildlife Adoption Center • Selling tuna that is safe for dolphins • Write letters to the three biggest tuna companies in the US to urge them to STAY dolphin safe.
QUIZ • What is the scientific name?? • How old do they normally get to be?? • Every how many seconds do they come up to breathe?? • What do the baby dolphins feed off?? • Name 3 things they eat..
Work Cited • http://www.animalinfo.org/species/cetacean/platmino.htm#Behavior • http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/pakistan/indus/ • http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/marine/dolphin-safe_tuna/index.php