Dolphins in the Amazon river.
- Thread starter ewurm
- Start date
Actually it's a female with a young one side by side. Maybe she's pregnant again. Or haven't you noticed the young between the mother and the camera?
BTW, they're very interesting and unique. Their mobile necks are quite unusual for dolphins, and they use it very well.
Best regards.
Daniel.
BTW, they're very interesting and unique. Their mobile necks are quite unusual for dolphins, and they use it very well.
Best regards.
Daniel.
Even less well known are the gray river dolphins or Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) that looks more like a regular dolphin but only gets about 5' long. It has a range that overlaps the pink.
Here's their cousin, the Ganges River dolphin.
The Ganges River dolphin has a long beak, a stocky body, and large flippers. Its eye lacks a lens, and the dolphin is sometimes referred to as being blind, although its eyes do seem to function as a direction-finding device. The Ganges River dolphin measures 1.5 - 2.5 m (4.9 - 8.2 ft) in length and weighs up to 90 kg (200 lb). It occurs only in fresh water, in Bangladesh and India, where the rivers flow slowly through the plains, as well as in Nepal, where the dolphin can be found in relatively clear water and rapids. The Ganges River dolphin lives not only in the main channels, but also, during the flood season, in seasonal tributaries and flooded lowlands.
The Ganges River dolphin feeds on several species of fish, invertebrates, and possibly turtles and birds. It does much of its feeding at or near the bottom. The waters that it inhabits are extremely murky. Probably for this reason, the dolphin's sight has degenerated. To find food, it probably uses echolocation and also probes with its sensitive snout and flipper for prey in the bottom mud. Reports from the 19th century speak of large schools of Ganges River dolphins to be seen near most large towns on the Ganges River. However, in more recent times, this dolphin has usually been found to occur in small groups or alone.
The Ganges River dolphin was formerly distributed throughout the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and possibly Bhutan. Although it still has a fairly extensive range, its distribution has contracted, and its abundance has declined dramatically in some areas. Currently it is found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Bangladesh and India. A few individuals survive in Nepal in the Karnali River and possibly the Sapta Kosi River. The linear extent of its distribution in the Ganges mainstem appears to have diminished by some 100 km (62 mi) since the 19th century, and even larger amounts of tributary habitat have been lost due to reduction in water flow below irrigation barrages. Its habitat is severely fragmented, and additional barrages continue to be built. Further reductions in the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of this dolphin are expected. It is almost certainly declining in numbers and will continue to do so as habitat degradation shows no sign of abating.
The Ganges River dolphin has a long beak, a stocky body, and large flippers. Its eye lacks a lens, and the dolphin is sometimes referred to as being blind, although its eyes do seem to function as a direction-finding device. The Ganges River dolphin measures 1.5 - 2.5 m (4.9 - 8.2 ft) in length and weighs up to 90 kg (200 lb). It occurs only in fresh water, in Bangladesh and India, where the rivers flow slowly through the plains, as well as in Nepal, where the dolphin can be found in relatively clear water and rapids. The Ganges River dolphin lives not only in the main channels, but also, during the flood season, in seasonal tributaries and flooded lowlands.
The Ganges River dolphin feeds on several species of fish, invertebrates, and possibly turtles and birds. It does much of its feeding at or near the bottom. The waters that it inhabits are extremely murky. Probably for this reason, the dolphin's sight has degenerated. To find food, it probably uses echolocation and also probes with its sensitive snout and flipper for prey in the bottom mud. Reports from the 19th century speak of large schools of Ganges River dolphins to be seen near most large towns on the Ganges River. However, in more recent times, this dolphin has usually been found to occur in small groups or alone.
The Ganges River dolphin was formerly distributed throughout the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and possibly Bhutan. Although it still has a fairly extensive range, its distribution has contracted, and its abundance has declined dramatically in some areas. Currently it is found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Bangladesh and India. A few individuals survive in Nepal in the Karnali River and possibly the Sapta Kosi River. The linear extent of its distribution in the Ganges mainstem appears to have diminished by some 100 km (62 mi) since the 19th century, and even larger amounts of tributary habitat have been lost due to reduction in water flow below irrigation barrages. Its habitat is severely fragmented, and additional barrages continue to be built. Further reductions in the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of this dolphin are expected. It is almost certainly declining in numbers and will continue to do so as habitat degradation shows no sign of abating.
