How much do you actually know about this marine creature - Vaquita??? Take this quiz to find out!
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The Vaquita is a species of Porpoise and the world’s rarest marine mammal.
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Vaquita, meaning ‘little cow’ in Spanish, are often confused with Dolphins but they are smaller with a rounded head and no snout.
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Kenneth S. Norris and William N. McFarland were the first to identify the Vaquita as a species in 1958, after studying the morphology of the skull found on a beach in California.
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Vaquitas live only in the northern Gulf of California, the water body between mainland Mexico and Baja, California.
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On an average, female Vaquitas grow up to 5 Ft. and male Vaquitas grow up to 4.6 Ft. making them the smallest of all living Cetaceans.
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Quick Fact
The Vaquitas generally eat a variety of small fishes, prawns, crabs but are known to have a likening for Squids.
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Vaquitas are estimated to have a life expectancy of about 20 years and sexual maturity is attained between 3 and 6 years.
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The first official Vaquita survey throughout their living habitat was conducted in 1997 and an estimated population of 567 individuals was concluded.
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Quick Fact
Despite government regulations, the drastic decline in the Vaquita population was primarily due to the bycatch in gillnets from the illegal Totoaba fishing.
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The Vaquita is listed as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. The 2018 population survey estimated less than 19 individuals in the world.