Raya Látigo Americana o Balá
Southern Stingray
Dasyatis americana
Southern Stingray
Dasyatis americana
| Photos by and text by David Nuñez |
| La raya más común en las bahías y lagunas del Caribe Mexicano es la Raya Látigo Americana. De hábitos nocturnos, se alimenta de moluscos, gusanos, camarones, cangrejos y peces pequeños que habítan en pastos marinos. Tiene una forma de rombo o diamante, con “alas” que forman un ápice en la punta. Entre punta y punta pueden medir hasta dos metros. En promedio dan a luz a cuatro crías por camada, cada una de 20 a 30 cm. Tienen una filosa espina venenosa en la cola. Sin embargo, no la utilizan para cazar, sino en defensa propia. |
| The ray you are most likely to encounter in the bays and lagoons of the Mexican Caribbean is the Southern Stingray. A nocturnal animal, it feeds on mollusks, worms, shrimp, crab and small fish, that dwell in seagrass beds. It is diamond-shaped, with wings that come to a corner at the tip. Their wingspan can reach 2 meters. Southerns give birth to an average of 4 pups per litter, each measuring between 20- 30 cm in length. Southern Stingrays have a sharp poisonous spine on their tails. However, this spine is not used for hunting but rather for defense. |
| Recomendamos estos libros sobre la Fauna de México. (Los nuestros son bilingues.) |
| To learn more about the Wildlife of Mexico, we recommend the following books. |
|
