Amazon River Dolphin

Taxobox
name = Amazon River Dolphin
status = vu
trend = unknown
status_system = iucn2.3

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = An Amazon River Dolphin at Duisburg Zoo.

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image2_width = 250px
image2_caption = Size comparison against an average human
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
subclassis = Eutheria
ordo = Cetacea
subordo = Odontoceti
superfamilia = Platanistoidea
familia = Iniidae
familia_authority = Gray, 1846
genus = "Inia"
species = "I. geoffrensis"
binomial = "Inia geoffrensis"
binomial_authority = Blainville, 1817
range_

range_map_width = 250px
range_map_caption = Amazon River Dolphin range

The Amazon River Dolphin, alternately Boto, Boutu, Nay, or Pink River Dolphin [cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/62.shtml | title = Wildfacts: Boto | publisher = BBC | accessdate = 2007-02-21] ("Inia geoffrensis") is a freshwater river dolphin endemic to the Amazon River and Orinoco River systems. The largest of the river dolphins, this species is not to be confused with the Tucuxi ("Sotalia fluviatilis"), whose range overlaps that of the Amazon River Dolphin but is not a true river dolphin.

The IUCN lists various other names to describe this species including Amazon Dolphin, Boto Vermelho, Boto Cor-de-Rosa, Bouto, Bufeo, Dauphin de l'Amazone, Inia, Pink Dolphin, Wee Quacker, Pink Freshwater Dolphin, Pink Porpoise, and Tonina.

Taxonomy

The first type specimen was described by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1817.

1998 classification lists a single species, "I. geoffrensis", in the genus "Inia", with three recognised subspecies:

*"I.g. geoffrensis" - Amazon basin population (excluding Madeira river drainage area, above the Teotonio Rapids in Bolivia)
*"I.g. boliviensis" - Amazon basin population in the Madeira drainage area
*"I.g. humboldtiana" - Orinoco basin population

Some older classifications listed the "boliviensis" population as a separate species.

Mythology

In a traditional Amazon River myth, at night an Amazon River Dolphin becomes a handsome young man who seduces girls, [ [http://www.ancientspiral.com/dolphin1.htm "Whales and Dolphins"] at [http://www.ancientspiral.com ancientspiral.com] ] impregnates them, then returns to the river in the morning to become an Amazon River Dolphin again. This dolphin shapeshifter is called an encantado. It has been suggested that the myth arose partly because dolphin genitalia bear a resemblance to that of humans. In the local area, there are also tales that it is bad luck to kill an Amazon River Dolphin.Legend also states that if a person makes eye contact with an Amazon River Dolphin, that person will have nightmares for the rest of his or her life.

The 1987 Brazilian film [http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ele,_o_Boto Ele, o Boto] is a supernatural romance featuring an Amazon River Dolphin who has a son by a young woman.

Food and diet

The Amazon River Dolphin has 25-30 peg-like front teeth for catching prey and it mainly eats crustaceans, crabs, turtles, and catfish and also they eat bits of human flesh so beware if ever swimming with them.

References

;General references
* Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is vulnerable.
* Rice, Dale W. (1998). Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Society of Marine Mammalogy Special Publication Number 4. 231 pp.
* Montgomery, Sy (2000). Journey of the pink dolphins : an Amazon quest. Simon & Schuster, 317 pages. 068484558X
*Juliet Clutton-Brock (2000). Mammals, 381 pages.
*cite web | url = http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/14/report14hm.html | title = Pink Dolphin | author = Hilda | accessdate = 2007-09-08

External links

* [http://www.eco-animals.com/products.html Book: "Pink dolphin, friend of the river"] (Web Site - English & Spanish)
* [http://www.omacha.org Omacha Foundation] - A non-government and non-profit organisation, created to study, research and protect river dolphins and other fauna and aquatic ecosystems in Colombia (website in English and Spanish). Winner of the 2007 Whitley Awards (UK)
* [http://www.projetoboto.com/ Projeto Boto] - a non-profit research project that is increasing knowledge, understanding and the conservation prospects of the Amazon's two endemic dolphins - the Amazon River Dolphin ("Inia geoffrensis") and the tucuxi ("Sotalia fluviatilis")
*"Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002–2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World's Cetaceans." IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group 2003, Reeves et al. [http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/HTML-books/SSC-Dolphins-wales-porpoises/cover.html HTML copy of book-length report]
* [http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/I_geoffrensis/I_geoffrensis.htm Convention on Migratory Species page on the Amazon Dolphin]
* [http://www.nature.org/animals/mammals/animals/amazondolphin.html The Nature Conservancy works to protect habitat for the Amazon River Dolphin]
* [http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walkers_mammals_of_the_world/cetacea/cetacea.iniidae.inia.html Walker's Mammals of the World Online - Amazon Dolphins]
* [http://www.animalinfo.org/species/cetacean/iniageof.htm Animal Info page on the Amazon River Dolphin]
* [http://virtualexplorers.org/ARD/index.htm - Virtual Explorers]
* [http://www.wdcs.org Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)]
* [http://www.isptr-pard.org/index.html]
* [http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/the-motorcycle-diaries-script-transcript.html - The Motorcycle Diaries Script]