Platanista minor Skull Replica measures 14.4 inches. Platanista minor Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Cast of an original California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as Indus River Dolphin.
The Indus River Dolphin or Platanista minor, also known as the Bhulan in Urdu and Sindhi, is a species of toothed whale in the family Platanistidae. It is endemic to the Indus River Basin of Pakistan and northwestern India.
It has been named as the national mammal of Pakistan, and the state aquatic animal of Punjab, India.
This dolphin was the first discovered side-swimming cetacean. It is patchily distributed in five small, sub-populations that are separated by irrigation barrages.
The Platanista minor has the long, pointed nose characteristic of all river dolphins. The teeth are visible in both the upper and lower jaws even when the mouth is closed.
The teeth of young Platanista minor are almost an inch long, thin and curved; however, as animals age the teeth undergo considerable changes and in mature adults become square, bony, flat disks. The snout thickens towards its end.
The species does not have a crystalline eye lens, rendering it effectively blind, although it may still be able to detect the intensity and direction of light. Navigation and hunting are carried out using echolocation.
The Platanista minor body is a brownish color and stocky at the middle. The species has a small triangular lump in place of a dorsal fin.
The flippers and tail are thin and large in relation to the body size, which is about 2-2.2 meters in males and 2.4–2.6 meters in females.
Platanista minor calves have been observed between January and May and do not appear to stay with the mother for more than a few months. Gestation is thought to be approximately 9–10 months.
