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AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN
Inia geoffrensis
Classification:
The Amazon River dolphin is very special to South America and it is the most studied of all species of the river dolphin.
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Appearance:
The Amazon River dolphin is a very strong animal with small but working eyes and a long beak that curve down a little towards the tip. They are the only toothed dolphin to have different kind of teeth in their jaw, the teeth in the front are the normal simple conical shape, those in the back are designed to help to crush prey items.
The melon is round and lofty, and they are able to change the shape of its melon.
The moon shaped blowhole is at the left to the center and the neck is very flexible.
The Amazon River dolphin has a long dorsal edge and have a very low dorsal fin.
The fins are triangle like, wide and have dull tips, while the flukes are triangular, broad and have a pointed tips.
Both flukes and flippers have scratched tow edges.
One of the most special characteristics of this dolphin is its colour, different from white/grey to pink on the dorsal platform, and a whiter colour below.
Some of them are a lifelike pink colour. The colour is affected by age.
Behaviour:
Another cool feature of this dolphin are they have a 'chubby cheeks' which it is believed may block its vision and might be the reason they are often swimming upside down.
Amazon River dolphins are slow swimmers, and they are more active in the early morning and late afternoon, although when they are feeding they can show short period of speed.
They are normally seen alone or pairs, but during the dry season or in the large amount prey individuals will gather in groups of 10 to 15.
Amazon River dolphins rarely jumping out of the water.
They also breathe at a shallow angle, show their beak, melon and dorsal fin at the same time.
Their diet include fish, shellfish, and even small turtles.
Other names:
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Boto
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Bufeo
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Araguaian dolphin
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Bolivian River dolphin
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Pink river dolphin
1.
Maximum length:
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Male: 2.5m
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Female: 2.3m
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Calf: 0.8m
2.
Maximum weight:
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Male: 207kg
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Female: Unknown
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Calf: Unknown
3.
Diet:
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Freshwater fish
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Shellfish
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Turtles
4.
Estimated population:
Unknown
5.
Distribution map:
Distribution:
The Amazon River dolphin is spotted throughout the Orinoco and Amazon River, in the mainstems of the rivers, tributaries and lakes.
During the wet season its dolphin range extend into the flooded forests. The major threat to this species is being hunts where they are either used for bait or seen by fishermen as a competition.
Other threats include human disturb, entangle in fishing things, prey decrease, and chemical pollution.