Amazon dolphin facts

The Amazon River itself is teeming with rich biodiversity: in the dark waters swim piranhas, amazon dolphin facts, manatees, and one of our favorites, the Amazon river dolphin, amazon dolphin facts. Known to locals as the Botoor more frequently referred to as the Pink River Dolphin on account of its distinctive coloring, these fascinating creatures are steeped in myth and legend and have evolved to be highly specialized to their environment. Learn more about them before you head to the Amazon with these 15 interesting facts about Pink River Dolphins below.

Amazon river dolphins boto. Every spring when the rains fall in South America, the Amazon River and its tributaries begin to spill their banks. Eventually, thousands of square miles of rainforest are flooded, creating a vast, tree-canopied sea. Into this seasonal sea, which remains for half the year, swims the Amazon river dolphin , or boto. Botos have the characteristic dolphin smile and, unlike their marine cousins, bulbous foreheads and long, skinny beaks. Most strikingly, males can be pink. The coloring is believed to be scar tissue from rough games or fighting over conquests.

Amazon dolphin facts

Welcome to the new A to Z Eco-Explorer, a series where we explore one environmental subject corresponding to each letter of the alphabet. Read on to learn some amazing facts about this amazing species. The Amazon pink river dolphin is known for its distinct shade of bubblegum pink. But can you believe that it is not born with this rosy appearance? At first, the dolphin has a greyish tone that only begins to turn pink as the animal ages. Its coloration can range from grey with some light pink speckles to a full flamingo-like pink. Male dolphins are also known to be pinkier than females. Their brighter tone is caused by markings and scars from fighting, scratching, and playing rough games underwater. The pinkier the male dolphins, the more attention they get from the females, especially during mating season. Just like humans, these dolphins also flush a rosier look when they get shy or excited. Yet another remarkable aspect of the Amazon pink river dolphin is its adaptation to freshwater environments. Unlike their oceanic relatives, which are well-known saltwater inhabitants, these dolphins have made the vast freshwater ecosystems of the Amazon their unique choice of habitat. Living in freshwater environments has led to some interesting adaptations in pink river dolphins.

Botos have the characteristic dolphin smile and, unlike their marine cousins, bulbous foreheads and long, skinny beaks, amazon dolphin facts. In studies conducted during the rainy season, the density observed in the flood plain was 18 animals per square km, while on the banks of rivers and lakes ranged from 1. Diet: Carnivore.

In South American culture however, it is considered a mythical figure that has been revered and reviled in equal measure. In reality, the pink river dolphin is one of two species of endangered freshwater dolphins that are found in similar locations throughout the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Inia geffrensis, or the pink river dolphin is different from the grey or tuxuci Sotalia fluviatilis river dolphins, which bear more resemblance to marine dolphins with their bottlenoses and habit of leaping out of the water. As its name suggests, the pink river dolphin is most recognizable by its unique color making it a huge draw for explorers of the Peruvian Amazon. The dolphins are actually born gray and slowly turn pink as they age.

Curious and clever, Amazon river dolphins use echolocation to hunt for prey in the murky waters of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. They start their life grey and become pinker with age! Amazon river dolphins are also known as pink river dolphins or botos. They are a strong part of Amazon folklore; the locals typically respect and protect them. Some say that if a person drowns, their spirit enters the body of a boto, while others say river dolphins transform into beautiful people at night to lure humans into their river forever. The magical shape-shifters will always wear a white hat to hide their dolphin blowhole! Amazon river dolphins resemble other dolphins in body shape. Their dorsal fin is low and appears as a ridge along their backs, and their snouts are long and thin with bristles at the end, which they use to probe through the silt of the riverbed. The skin of adult river dolphins is usually solid or patched pink. Colour varies with individuals, though, and it lightens with age.

Amazon dolphin facts

Amazon river dolphins boto. Every spring when the rains fall in South America, the Amazon River and its tributaries begin to spill their banks. Eventually, thousands of square miles of rainforest are flooded, creating a vast, tree-canopied sea. Into this seasonal sea, which remains for half the year, swims the Amazon river dolphin , or boto. Botos have the characteristic dolphin smile and, unlike their marine cousins, bulbous foreheads and long, skinny beaks. Most strikingly, males can be pink. The coloring is believed to be scar tissue from rough games or fighting over conquests. The brighter the pink, the more attractive the males are to females—at least during mating season, which takes place when the water has receded and males and females are confined to the river channel again. During the wet season, however, females venture far into the flooded forest, likely to escape the aggressive males.

Queezy

JSTOR How did they get to the Amazon—and why are the males sometimes pink? Usually, these dolphins are active and feeding throughout the day and night. Cravalho Turvey, Samuel T. Sperm whale P. Retrieved 12 November Accidentally the dolphins often become tangled in their nets too. Diet: Carnivore. Society for Marine Mammalogy. ISSN Later, it was shown that males were larger than females and are documented wielding an aggressive sexual behavior in the wild and in captivity. Traditional Amazonian belief holds that the boto is a magical being able to take the form of a human and come ashore—with a hat to hide its telltale blowhole. Share this article with your friends. Read More.

Amazon river dolphin facts, pictures and information. The Amazon River itself provides a huge and varied habitat for a vast number of animals.

The largest congregations are seen in areas with abundant food, and at the mouths of rivers. They swim towards the top, often looking down, and use echolocation to help them hunt. Here are 3 theories. The only connection between the Orinoco and the Amazon is through the Casiquiare canal. This suggests fierce competition for access to females, with a polygynous mating system, though polyandry and promiscuity cannot be excluded. Toggle limited content width. Animals Single orca seen killing great white shark for first time ever. From USD. Tropical River Fisheries Valuation:Background papers to a global synthesis. Adds a further layer of complexity to what we know about the social lives of male bottlenose dolphins. In fact, the Northeast is […]. Report of the International Whaling Commission.