Finless Porpoise

Did you know that there are only six living porpoise species? And that today's animal, the Finless Porpoise, can be found in both salt and fresh water, making it the only freshwater Porpoise? Finless Porpoises live in coastal waters off of Asia, but there are also small populations that live in rivers, including the Yangzte. They typically swim in small groups of 2-3 individuals, though larger pods of up to 20 have been rarely observed.

Finless Porpoises, as their name suggests, do not have a dorsal fin. Instead, they have a very low ridge on their backs. They also have unfused neck vertebrae, which allows them to move their head in different directions. Overall, they are a small, streamlined Cetecean species, and they feed on Krill, Fish, Octopuses, and a handful of other invertebrate species.

Gill nets and other types of fishing gear are some of the biggest causes for Finless Porpoise death. They are also very susceptible to water pollution, habitat change, and habitat loss. The Yangtze subpopulation is quite rare, and estimates are that there are less than 2,000 left.

Finless Porpoises have appeared recently in the news, when a young Porpoise was washed a mile inland during the Japanese Tsunami. The Porpoise was rescued and returned to the ocean.

IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Asian coastal waters

Size : Length up to 5ft (1.55m), Weight up to 100lbs (45kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Cetacea -- Suborder : Odontoceti
Family : Phocoenidae -- Genus : Neophocaena -- Species : N. phocaenoides

Comments

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Banggai Cardinalfish

Pterapogon kauderni The Banggai Cardinalfish is a small tropical fish that is becoming very rare in the wild, even though it has been successfully bred in captivity. You will only find these small, 3in long fish around the Banggai Islands of Indonesia. They are the only members of their genus, and you can tell them apart from other Cardinalfish by their three-striped bodies, tasseled first dorsal fin, long second dorsal, and their deep-forked tail fins. Banggai Cardinalfish are diurnal and live in small groups of about a dozen members. They are opportunistic feeders who dine on whatever smaller plants and animals they can find. Courtship and mating is pretty interesting for these guys-- females are the ones who initiate. They isolate a male and the pair will perform various courtship rituals before spawning. The Cardinalfish are mouthbrooders, which means that the males take the fertilized eggs (up to 90 of them) into their mouths and incubate them for up to 30 days. During t...

Animal A Day!

Search This Blog