Brief SummaryRead full entry BiologyGanges river dolphins are
usually solitary creatures (9). The eye lacks a lens and
therefore functions solely as a means of detecting the direction
of light. In the muddy waters of their habitat, good eyesight is
not needed, and echolocation is used to detect food and navigate
(5). Individuals tend to swim with one flipper trailing along
the substrate (4), and will root around with their beak to
disturb and detect the shrimp and fish upon which they feed (5).
Births may take place year round but appear to be concentrated
between December to January, and March to May (9). After around
one year, juveniles are weaned and they reach sexual maturity at
about ten years of age (5). During the monsoon, dolphins tend to
migrate to tributaries of the main river systems (9).
Occasionally, individuals swim along with their beak emerging
from the water (7), and they may 'breach', jumping partly or
completely clear of the water and landing on the side of the
body (7).