Irrawaddy 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/irrawaddy-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?Orcaella brevirostris
2. What is the taxonomic classification?Genus Orcaella, family Delphinidae
3. What does an Irrawaddy dolphin look like?Irrawaddy dolphins have a round head, no big beak, a small dorsal fin far back, and their skin is slate blue or gray on top and lighter on the belly.
4. Where do Irrawaddy dolphins live?They live in rivers and coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia, including the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Bay of Bengal, and lakes like Chilika in India and Songkhla in Thailand.

Cetacean: A marine mammal belonging to the order Cetacea, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Taxonomy: The scientific classification of organisms into hierarchical groups based on shared characteristics.
Phylogenetic: Relating to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of organisms.