The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale. Three subspecies are currently …
The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale. Three subspecies are currently recognized, the Amazon river dolphin, the Bolivian river dolphin and the Orinoco river dolphin.
The Amazon river dolphin is the largest species of river dolphin, with adult males reaching 185 kilograms (408 lb) in weight, and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) in length. Adults, especially males, often have a pink color, so it has the nickname "pink river dolphin". The males are quite a bit heavier and a little bit longer than the females. Its fin size, unfused (not solid) vertebrae (bones), and its being pretty small let it move and catch live food and move around easily in flooded forests.
These dolphins feed on up to 53 different kinds of fish, including croakers, catfish, tetras and piranhas. They also eat river turtles and freshwater crabs.
Hunting is a major threat to this species. Also in recent decades there are fewer Amazon river dolphins due to the loss of habitat (area where it lives) and the dolphins becoming entangled in fishing lines.
It is the only species of river dolphin that now lives in captivity, mainly in Venezuela and Europe, but it often doesn't live long in captivity.
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