Sotalia Skull Replica measures 12.9 inches. Sotalia Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane resin cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Also known as Tucuxi Gray River Dolphin
The Sotalia or Tucuxi Gray River Dolphin, is a species of freshwater dolphin found in the rivers of the Amazon basin.
The Sotalia is frequently described as looking similar to the bottlenose dolphin, but it is typically smaller at around 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The dolphin is colored light to bluish grey on its back and sides.
Like most dolphins, Sotalia or Tucuxi River Dolphin use a variety of whistles and clicks to communicate with conspecifics.
Among delphinids, evidence suggests that species’ size has a linear effect on whistle pitch, with smaller species having higher pitched whistles and larger species having lower pitched whistles.
Sotalia or Tucuxi River Dolphin align with this relationship, and as one of the smallest extant dolphin species, they are known to have some of the highest pitched whistles when compared to other dolphins (e.g., 16% of whistles exceed 24Hz).
Whistle frequency tends to ascend rather than descend during a single whistle. Whistling increases while foraging, and is thought to attract conspecifics to where food is abundant.
Like other delphinids, Sotalia or Tucuxi River Dolphin use echolocation to help them find prey.
Sotalia or Tucuxi River Dolphin use their vision to perceive the local environment, and despite living in a freshwater environment, and have a number of ocular features that are similar to those of many marine dolphins.
Tucuxis have two high density ganglion areas, a feature which is common among delphinids and helps them process visual information more efficiently than Amazon River dolphins, which have only one.
Being originally adapted for life in a saline environment, however, may negatively affect their ability to see objects in freshwater at high resolution. Evidence suggests that although their clarity of vision is less than that of true river dolphins, it is better than that of marine dolphins.
What Sotalia or Tucuxi River Dolphin lack in eye sight, however, they make up for in their ability to echolocate prey and potential predators.
