Indus River Dolphin

Weight:
The Indus River dolphin weighs 80 - 90 kg (180 - 200 lb). 

Length:
Females: up to 2.5 m (8.2'); males: up to 2.0 m (6.6'). 

Habitat:
The Indus River dolphin apparently inhabited the entire Indus River system from the Himalayan foothills to the estuarine portion of the river leading into the Arabian Sea. The streams it originally occurred in flowed swiftly during the monsoon. It is found in silt-laden, turbid water, at temperatures between 8 - 33 deg C (46 - 91 deg F) (Cetacea 2000).

The Indus River dolphin occurs in the Indus River Delta & Rann of Kutch Global 200 Ecoregion. (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999) 

Age to Maturity:
About 10 years. 

Gestation Period:
10 - 11 months. 

Birth Season:
April and May. 

Birth Rate:
The calving interval is 2 years. 

Early Development:
Calves may be weaned by the time they are 1 year old. 

Maximum Age:
Probably at least 28 years (similar to the Ganges dolphin, Platanista gangetica).

Diet:
The Indus River dolphin eats crustaceans such as prawns, as well as fish such as gobies, catfish and carp. 

Behavior:
The Indus River dolphin comes to the surface to breathe about every 30 - 120 seconds. 

To find food, it is thought to use echolocation and to probe the river bottom with its snout and its flipper, which it uses by swimming on one side underwater, with one flipper trailing in the riverbed.  

When the Indus was a free-flowing river, the Indus River dolphin would migrate upstream into the smaller tributaries during the monsoon rains and migrate downstream to the main channels in the dry season. 

Age & Gender Distribution:
A male:female ratio of 2:1 has been reported.