Wildlifeof Nepal
Ganges River Dolphin
Whales, Dolphins & Dugong
Photo: Fábio Olmos · CC-BY
Platanista gangetica
Basic stats
Diet
Fish, located by echolocation
Habitat
Large, murky freshwater rivers
Range
Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Karnaphuli–Sangu river systems; the Sapta Koshi and Karnali Rivers in Nepal
Gestation period
8–12 months
The Ganges river dolphin is a freshwater dolphin that is usually tan, chocolate brown, dark grey or light blue. It has an elongated, slender snout with sharp, very pointed teeth, and large, broad flippers and tail flukes. It is effectively blind and relies on ultrasonic sound echoing off fish and other objects to find prey and to avoid objects in murky water (Wikipedia, general species account).
In Nepal it lives in the Sapta Koshi and Karnali rivers. It has no specific mating season. A calf is born 8 to 12 months after conception and stays with its mother for a year. The oldest recorded animal was a 28-year-old male, 199cm long, and they are estimated to live up to about 30 years. Nationally Critically Endangered (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Ganges River Dolphin eat?
- Fish, located by echolocation
- What habitat does the Ganges River Dolphin live in?
- Large, murky freshwater rivers
- Where is the Ganges River Dolphin found?
- Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Karnaphuli–Sangu river systems; the Sapta Koshi and Karnali Rivers in Nepal
- How long is the gestation period of the Ganges River Dolphin?
- 8–12 months