Animal Unique | Chinese River Dolphin | Chinese River Dolphin is also called Yangtze River Dolphin, White fin Dolphin or Yangtze Dolphin. In Chinese, it is known as Baiji. Chinese river dolphin are found in China, from the mouth of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and north approximately 1.900 km upstream. They are also found in the middle to lower reaches of the Qiantang River. This is a cozy kind usually found in pairs larger groups of about 10 individuals. Chinese river dolphins are critically endangered and almost extinct.
Scientific classification
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Eutheria
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Lipotidae, Zhou, Qian & Li, 1978
Genus: Lipotes, Miller, 1918
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Eutheria
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Lipotidae, Zhou, Qian & Li, 1978
Genus: Lipotes, Miller, 1918
Species: L. vexillifer
Chinese river dolphin are light blue to gray in color on their dorsal (upper) side, white on their belly (bottom) sides. Their upward curved beaks are long with 32-36 teeth on either side of their jaws. Their rostrum (beak / snout) is slightly bent upwards, and their eyes are situated high on their heads. Unlike the Amazon river dolphin, Chinese river dolphin lack of hair on their mouths and their blowhole is oval.
Chinese river dolphin, mainly feed on the river fishing. Their long beaks are used to the muddy bottom to probe for prey. They dive for only about 10-20 seconds. Unlike the Amazon river dolphin, Chinese river dolphin have poor eyesight. They do however highly developed echolocation use to find food.
Like all species of dolphins, the Chinese river dolphin is based on echolation for them to be able to find prey. This kind of vibration can pick them up both the distance and direction of their prey. They feed on many types of fish. They swallow their food whole, even though they do have teeth, they can chew with. That is why they prefer to feed on small and medium fish than larger ones. If these foods are not easy to find they can consume squid, eel, and various species of crustaceans. It is not known how much food an adult Chinese river dolphin should eat every day
These dolphins are very social and they are supposed to live in pods that can hold up to 16 members. Because we no longer have access to this there is not much we can learn about them. The early observations of them, however, that they use vocalization, such as clicks and whistles to communicate with each other. Due to the fact that these dolphins live in fresh water they are not as many problems with the killer whales and sharks. However, some species of sharks who live in fresh water so can be a problem for them.
The biggest problem is that these same waters they share with humans. Entanglement in fishing nets and water pollution are serious problems for them. The number of Chinese river dolphin has been continued due to amount of fish marketed in the fall area. According toe the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the most endangered species of aquatic life in the world. Extensive studies were conducted in 2007 when there were reports of the Chinese river dolphin in the area. One of the biggest problems is that the Chinese government is not interested in protecting them.
Even power to go to China and do the studies to search for the Chinese river dolphin, a large part of the bureaucracy. The Chinese river dolphin, commonly known as the Chinese river dolphin or Baiji dolphin, is on the verge of extinction. In 1975, the Chinese government declared the Baiji a national treasure, and began the preservation and protection of species to offer, however, has done little good if the dolphin is still threatened by heavy boat traffic, fishing, industrial development and the construction of the world's largest dam. The Chinese river dolphin, where the Chinese river dolphin makes the house is one of the busiest rivers in the world's most populous country on the planet.
Animal Unique