Yangtze Finless Porpoise

What is being done to prevent the extinction of the Yangtze finless porpoise?

First and foremost, the Chinese govenment is beginning to be more strict in enforcing regulations concerning pollution, electrofishing, and other illegal and harmful activities.

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Habitat?

The Yangtze Finless Porpoise lives, as the name implies, in the Yangtze River, the largest river of Asia, which is located in China. It has also been seen in the coastal waters of Western China, and other rivers of China.

Life History

Weighing only 30 to 45 kilograms (66 to 99 pounds), the Yangtze finless porpoise, on average, can live to 22 years of age in the wild, and up to 25 years in captivity. Calves generally wean from their mothers after seven to eleven months, and their breeding cycles are generally one to two years.

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Interesting Facts/Information

The Yangtze finless porpoise's intelligence, according to Chinese biologists, is actually quite comparable to that of the gorilla.

Most Yangtze porpoise travel alone or in pods up to 12 porpoises.

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Diet

The Yangtze Finless Porpoise is an opportunistic feeder, and its diet is known to consist of cephalopods, crustaceons, and fish.

Mating Behavior

The Yangtze Finless Porpoise

by Caleb Holaway

When mating, male Yangtze finless porpoises "dance" to attract the females. After mating, the specie's gestation period is roughly 11 months. An average litter of this species is one to two calves. Males reach reproductive maturity at four years of age, and females reach reproductive maturity at six years of age.

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Why is the Yangtze finless porpoise endangered?

What is being done to prevent the extinction of the Yangtze finless porpoise?

The two leading causes to the dissapearance of this porpoise are overfishing (which depletes its food supply) and pollution.

Conservationists are constructing floodplain lakes which ensure a stable food supply for the porpoises, and conservationists are teaching fishermen other ways to generate income to bring overfishing to a cease. So far, little success has been seen.

Why is the Yangtze finless porpoise endangered? (Continued)

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Some other factors contributing to the loss in numbers of these mammals include underwater construction and high traffic flow on the Yangtze.

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Bibliography

Yangtze Finless Porpoise. http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/yangtze-finless-porpoise

Yangtze finless porpoise: Highly endangered mammal trying to cope with constant shipping, dredging and underwater construction. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131021104246.htm

Finless Porpoise Facts. http://www.whalefacts.org/finless-porpoise-facts/

Finless Porpoises, Neophocaena phocaenoides. http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=438

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