What is the National aquatic mammal of Pakistan?

What is the National aquatic mammal of Pakistan?

Indus River dolphin is the National aquatic mammal of Pakistan. Platanista gangetica minor is the scientific name of Pakistan’s National aquatic mammal. It is commonly known as Indus river dolphin, blind dolphin, Indus dolphin, side-swimming dolphin. National aquatic mammal of Pakistan the Indus River dolphin also found in Pakistan and India. In Pakistan, the Indus River dolphin was distributed in an ample range, previously found in the Indus River and in its major tributaries in Punjab’s Sutlej River, Chenab River, Ravi River and Jhelum River, but is now limited to the main channel of the Indus River.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Environment and Forest declared the Indus River dolphin as the national aquatic mammal of Pakistan. In 1974, the government of Sindh selected a 200 km elongate of the Indus River between Guddu and Sukkur barrages as the Indus Dolphin Reserve. It is only legally Sheltered Area with the largest populace of Indus River dolphins.

The National aquatic mammal of Pakistan facts—

  • Common name: Indus river dolphin, blind dolphin, Indus dolphin, side-swimming dolphin.
  • Scientific name: Platanista gangetica minor
  • Length: Body length ranges from 5 – 8 feet. Females are usually few larger than males.
  • Weight: Adults have naturally weight in between 60 and 90 kg.
  • Color: The Indus River dolphin is primarily dark on its back and the abdomen is white. The back is either black or dark brown, and the underside is white or cream-colored. From the lower jaw to the flipper is dark streak stretches.
  • Diet: The Indus River dolphin has diet includes a variety of fish and invertebrates, namely prawns, shrimps, clams, catfish, freshwater sharks, gobies, and carp. They generally look for surface dweller fishes and grove mud dweller fishes in shallow water with the help of their long snout.
    Reproduction: Females give birth of one progeny per every two to three years. The gestation period averages 12 months. Calving occurs at all times of the year with a peak in December and January, preceding the beginning of the dry season.
  • Lifespan: Average 20 years. It may be higher in somewhen. Females usually live longer than males.

Pakistan’s National aquatic mammal, the Indus River dolphin is very social, and they live in large groups called pods. They have a very intricate chain of command that keeps them organized and they have a propensity to create subgroups, which based on age and other factors. They are very energetic and seem to be able to move almost effortlessly through the water. They are also very much playful, so they have spent their time by teasing each other.

Pakistan’s State water mammal, the Indus River dolphin has a poor sense of smell, but excellent eyesight and a well-developed sense of taste. They can learn plenty of things thanks to its large brain. Indus River dolphin uses echolocation to discover food and keep away from obstacles in the water. It generates clicks and gets information about size, shape, and kind of substance in the water based on the reproduced sound. Indus River dolphin is a carnivore, which diet has included a variety of fish and invertebrates, namely prawns, shrimps, clams, catfish, freshwater sharks, gobies, and carp. Indus River dolphin frequently hunts in the group and pushes groups of fish toward the vicinity where they can be effortlessly caught.

National aquatic mammal of Pakistan, The Indus River dolphin is generally a dark gray on the upper part of its body and on both sides of the body is evaporation into a lighter gray while white to creamy color its belly. This countershading makes them hard to see when swimming. Females are, on average, somewhat larger and significantly weighty than males. The size of the Indus River dolphins is varied considerably with habitat. They have up to 26 to39 teeth on both the upper and lower jaws that they can use to help them hold the prey but they don’t chew their food.

Reference:

http://www.wwfpak.org/species/indus_dolphin.php

http://www.whalefacts.org/indus-river-dolphin-facts/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_river_dolphin

www.whalefacts.org/indus-river-dolphin-facts/

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