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South Asian River Dolphins
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Intro

The South Asian river dolphin is unique in many different ways, one reason is because of their identifiable snout. The only other Dolphin with a very long nose is the Amazon river dolphin. Also with their sharp teeth. Citizens also have been called “The blind dolphin” because of their bad eyesight. According to Science direct “The South Asian river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin have elongated jaws furnished with numerous curved, sharply pointed teeth: 26–39 teeth in each half of the upper jaw and sometimes slightly fewer in the lower.”.

“According to Critter.Science “These dolphins go by many names: Ganges susu, Shushuk, Gangetic dolphin,

Bhulan, Indus dolphin, Indus blind dolphin, blind river dolphin, and side-swimming dolphin.”. According to wikipedia “South Asian river dolphins are stocky with broad, squared-off pectoral fins; elongated, slender rostrums (snouts); and tiny triangular dorsal fins.”. As in the cited evidence the South Asian River Dolphin has many small curved needle like teeth that they need to feed. Their abnormally long snouts are an adaptation for feeding. The name “blind dolphin” is a reference to their bad eyesight. This is why the South Asian river dolphin is unique, it has many other traits that help it with their life and survival.

Family Size and Characteristics

The South asian river dolphin has many close family and many characteristics, Because they are dolphins, that means they are related to the whole dolphin family and also many many other toothed whale species. They are also referred to as the “Blind dolphin” because of their bad eyesight. They have big snouts, similar to the amazon river dolphin. They have 26 to 39 sharp curved teeth. According to wikipedia “South Asian river dolphins are the only surviving members of the family Platanistidae and the superfamily Platanistoidea. They are not closely related to other river dolphins of the families Lipotidae, Pontoporiidae, and Iniidae, which all independently adapted to freshwater habitats.”.

According to Science direct “The South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) and the Indus river dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) have elongated jaws furnished with numerous curved, sharply pointed teeth: 26–39 teeth in each half of the upper jaw and sometimes slightly fewer in the lower.”. According to Critter.Science “ These dolphins go by many names: Ganges susu, Shushuk, Gangetic dolphin, Bhulan, Indus dolphin, Indus blind dolphin, blind river dolphin, and side-swimming dolphin.”  The name “blind dolphin” comes from their bad eyesight, this means it and many other species of dolphin use echolocation. The South Asian River Dolphin has a massive family tree, they relate to anything in the Platanistoidea, they are the last surviving species in the Platanistidae family and not closely related to the Lipotidae, Iniidae and the Pontoporiidae. The 26 - 39 sharp curved teeth help this creature feed on freshwater fish and freshwater shrimp. As you can see the South Asian River Dolphin is a unique creature because of the many interesting facts about it.

What Does it Eat?

The South Asian River Dolphin eat fish, clams and shrimp. According to Noaa.gov “Indus River dolphins usually dive for 30 to 90 seconds but are able to hold their breath for several minutes. They use their long beaks to find food along the river bottom and groups of dolphins sometimes work together to find prey. Their fang-like teeth help them eat clams, fish, and shrimp.” According to Marinebio.org “Indus river dolphins, P. gangetica minor, also use their echolocation abilities and their long snouts to forage for many bottom-dwelling animals including fish and invertebrates. P. gangetica minor has been known to eat some species of catfish, herring, carp, gobies, mahseers, prawns, and clams.”. According to Marinebio.org “Ganges river dolphins, P. gangetica gangetica, use their echolocation abilities combined with their highly toothed, long snouts to feed on shrimp and fish.” This species of dolphin are forced to use echolocation due to their unusually poor eyesight. These animals have adapted long snouts for the use of feeding,they also have very long and pointy teeth. These animals have adapted to eat crustaceans, gobies, carp, catfish and herring. In conclusion, this species has adapted to many many different things necessary to feed.

Where Does it Live?

The south asian river dolphin lives in freshwater canals such as the indus river and the ganges river. Both suit this animal's habitat and needs. According to wikipedia “South Asian river dolphins inhabit the northern waterways of the Indian subcontinent. Ganges river dolphins live in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Sangu rivers and their tributaries. Their range extends from the Himalayan foothills to the Ganges Delta, across the countries of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. It is unknown if they are present in Bhutan.” According to Marinebio.org “Ganges river dolphins, P. gangetica gangetica, are found in the muddy river waters of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangledesh in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Hoogli river systems. This freshwater species may migrate to tidal waters during the rainy season, and during the dry season they migrate away from areas where temperatures and/or salinity rise significantly.” Also according to Marinebio.org ``Indus river dolphins, P. gangetica minor, are found in the Indus River in Pakistan. Their range has decreased significantly by human created barriers and changes to the rainfall pattern. They are found above the Kotri Barrage and below the Chasma, Trimmu, Sidhnai, and Islam Barrages.”. The south asian river dolphin, as in its name lives in southern asia. This animal has adapted to this habitat from when it was created. As you can see, these places suit this creature's needs, it needs different wildlife for food. In conclusion the south asian river dolphin lives in the area of india.

Migration Pattern

The migration pattern of the south asian river dolphin is by heading down the river when the water is low and upriver when the water is high. According to wikipedia “South Asian river dolphins inhabit the northern waterways of the Indian subcontinent. Ganges river dolphins live in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Sangu rivers and their tributaries. Their range extends from the Himalayan foothills to the Ganges Delta, across the countries of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. It is unknown if they are present in Bhutan.” According to Marinebio.org “Ganges river dolphins, P. gangetica gangetica, are found in the muddy river waters of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangledesh in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Hooghly river systems. This freshwater species may migrate to tidal waters during the rainy season, and during the dry season they migrate away from areas where temperatures and/or salinity rise significantly.” Also, according to Marinebio.org “Indus river dolphins, P. gangetica minor, are found in the Indus River in Pakistan. Their range has decreased significantly by human created barriers and changes to the rainfall pattern. They are found above the Kotri Barrage and below the Chasma, Trimmu, Sidhnai, and Islam Barrages.”. The south asian river dolphin, as in its name lives in southern asia. This animal has adapted to this habitat from when it was created. These places suit this creature's needs, it needs the different wildlife for food.This mammal migration shows the rare feats and how it migrates.

Fun Facts

Some fun facts about the south asian river dolphin are they are called Blind dolphins because of their poor eyesight. They are also called side swimming dolphins because ganges river dolphins (a species of south asian river dolphin)swims on its side to trail mud. This mammal weighs 15 - 200 lbs and is 7 ft - 8 ft. According to critter.science “These dolphins go by many names: Ganges susu, Shushuk, Gangetic dolphin, Bhulan, Indus dolphin, Indus blind dolphin, blind river dolphin, and side-swimming dolphin.” According to NOAA.gov “The Indus River dolphin is 7 to 8.5 feet long and weighs 150 to 200 pounds.”. The body of this body is mainly the same as the normal dolphin except for the snout. Every single detail of this species of dolphin is for survival. The teeth and the snout are for feeding purposes, echolocation is for their bad eyesight. As you can see there are many facts and answers to questions and facts in general.

Is It Endangered?/Conclusion.

The south asian river species is endangered, they are endangered mainly because of fisheries and pollution. According to WorldWildlife.org “Industrial, agricultural, and human pollution is another serious cause of habitat degradation. Each year, 9,000 tons of pesticides and 6 million tons of fertilizers are used in the vicinity of the river.”. There are many ways we can stop this including stopping people from fishing and catching these dolphins from their food. This animal has 3000 left in its population meaning its endangered. To conclude, this mammal has many many different abilities and facts about it.