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Pink Dolphins

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Title: Pink Dolphins


1
Pink Dolphins
2
Various names
  • The Pink Amazon River Dolphin
  • Inia geoffrensis
  • Known as the bufeo colorado in Peru
  • Known as botos in Brazil
  • Boutu
  • Wee Quacker
  • Tonina
  • Dauphin de lAmazone

3
Intelligence
  • Believed to be the smartest of all five of the
    freshwater species of dolphins
  • Have a brain capacity that is 40 larger than
    humans
  • Very curious, more so than the gray dolphins, and
    playful

4
Endangerment
  • Although they were thought to be one of the least
    threatened species 20 years ago, they are now one
    of the most endangered dolphins because of the
    destruction of the Amazon Basin and South
    American Rainforest
  • Their current status is vulnerable
  • Play video

5
Interesting Facts for us!
  • 18 years ago they counted eight pink dolphins in
    the Yarapa River
  • Now there are between 35 and 40 in the same river
  • The lodge is located where Sy Montgomery did her
    research to write two books about the pink
    dolphins
  • The lodge has also recently added hydrophonic
    technology so people can study marine life by
    listening to and recording the sounds heard

6
Social Habits
  • Do not need to live in large pods to be protected
    because their only predators are humans
  • During the high water season, the dolphins hunt
    alone in the floodplains
  • At other times they are in groups of 5-8 which
    are led by an adult male
  • At river confluences, they sometimes gather in
    larger groups to fish, even with other gray
    dolphins
  • Eat at the bottom of the river and their main
    diet is crabs and small fish but can also be
    small turtles

7
Appearance
  • 6 to 9 feet long
  • 200-350 pounds
  • Males are generally larger than females
  • Calves can be born anytime from July to February
    and are 30 inches long, just over 2.2 pounds, and
    light gray in color
  • Males mature at 7 ft and females at 5.5 ft
  • Gestation period is anywhere from 9-12 months
  • Vary in color from a bright pink to a
    murky-brown, gray, blue-gray, or creamy white
  • The reasons for the pink color is unknown but one
    hypothesis is that the capillaries are very close
    to the surface of the skin. They are known to
    become pinker when excited or surprised, almost
    as if they are blushing
  • They do not have a dorsal fin although they have
    a bump on their backs that shows the remnants of
    one from evolution
  • Their cervical vertebrae are not fused which
    allows their heads to move around
  • Flukes are broad and triangular and fins are
    large compared to their body

8
Mythology
  • According to Amazon River Myths, the pink dolphin
    is a shape shifter, where the Boto becomes a
    handsome man at night, seduces girls, and
    impregnates them before returning to the river in
    the morning to again become a dolphin.
  • The dolphin is called an encanto and the legend
    is thought to stem from the fact that the Boto
    genitalia closely resembles a humans. It is
    said that one will have bad luck if a Boto is
    killed or if you look it in the eye, it is said
    you will have nightmares for the rest of your
    life. Luckily, this has helped it survive from
    human predation.

9
Captivity
10
Range
11
Sources
  • http//www.puppiesandflowers.com/blogimages/pinkdo
    lphin.jpg
  • http//planetviews.com/evolution/media/pink20dolp
    hin.jpg
  • http//www.isptr-pard.org/dolphin.html
  • http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boto
  • http//www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/I_
    geoffrensis/I_geoffrensis.htm
  • Dolphins and Porpoises by Alfred A. Knopf, 1982
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