Polka Dot Stingray

The Polka Dot Stingray is native to Xingu River Basin in Brazil but can be found be found in slow moving water which has plenty of mud and sand as they will bury themselves in the river bed during the day and hunt through the night. Burying in the sand allows them to blend in with their environment as their colours are very harsh.

They can be identified by the top of their body as it is very dark in colour normally black or brown covered in white spots. Their spots also run down the length of their tail where they have a venomous spine that is capable of inflicting great pain on their predators. Their eyes protrude out of the top of their body so when they are buried in the sand they are able to see everything that comes above them which helps them ambush their prey.

Along with great eyesight these rays have electroreceptors around their mouth and snout which helps them to detect tiny changes in their environment created by living organisms. This will allow them to detect prey in the often murky waters that cause poor visibility. These stingrays hold their eggs internally until they hatch but what makes the Polka Dot Stingray unique is the size of their litters. Most species will birth around four pups whereas the Polka Dot Stingray can have up to eight pups at once.