Ganges river dolphin

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ganges-river-dolphin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Platanista gangetica
2. What is the conservation status?Endangered (IUCN Red List)
3. How does the Ganges river dolphin see?Its eyes are very small and don’t have lenses, so it can’t see well. Instead it uses echolocation, making high‑frequency clicks to hear its surroundings.
4. What does the Ganges river dolphin eat?It mainly eats fish, but also eats crustaceans and small invertebrates. It catches them with its long snout and many teeth.

Obligate freshwater cetacean: A marine mammal species that has evolved to live exclusively in freshwater environments.
Echolocation: A biological sonar system used by certain animals to perceive their environment by emitting sound pulses and interpreting the returning echoes.
Indicator species: A species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects the condition of an ecosystem, serving as a warning of environmental change.
Anthropogenic pressures: Environmental changes or impacts caused by human activities.