![]() ![]() ![]() Pollution, boats, construction and accidental fishing hazards all contribute to the endangerment of these dolphins. Concernsĭue to the fact that these dolphins live in shallow river waters their main threats are humans. The males have been known to attack one another during these periods when in search of a mate and may end up fighting one another over a female dolphin. Newborns can usually be seen swimming along with two or more adults for the first several months after birth.ĭuring mating season the female dolphins can be found traveling deep into the forests (possibly to avoid the highly competitive male dolphins). These dolphins tend to be very closely connected to their family, at least in their early youth. Most births occur during the summer time between July – September. The average gestation period (the period from conception to birth) for amazon river dolphins is about 9 months. These sounds are most often used during times of hunting in the form of echolocation or when they want to communicate a need or desire to another dolphin. The variations in sounds are not only used to communicate different things but also help these dolphins distinguish individual members within their pod. These dolphins are known to communicate using a well structured variety of high and low range click and whistles.ĭepending on the river dolphin the length, frequency and range of their clicks and whistles can vary quite a bit. Unfortunately not much is known about the social structure of these river dolphins. When the water levels lower they return back to the rivers and river banks. These dolphins can be observed inhibiting several thousand square miles during these floods. They can also be found inhibiting the rivers of Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru.ĭuring the rain season when the river’s flood with water these dolphins travel through the marshes and forests in search of food. The amazon river dolphin can be found swimming in south America throughout the amazon and Orinoco rivers. They are often seen swimming at or near the bottom of the river hunting for crustaceans and may use their beak to capture other prey that is hiding in hollow logs or other objects.Ĭatfish and piranha are also considered a regular part of their diet and in some cases they may be observed hunting small turtles. These dolphins survive on a diet consisting of small fish, crustaceans, shrimp and crab. Instead of navigating with their eyes these marine mammals use echolocation to help them get around and hunt their prey. While the possess eyes they are believed to have poor eyesight when compared to other dolphin species due to the fact that they have evolved in shallow, dark, murky waters where eyesight plays less of a role. In addition to their flexible necks they also have a long beak which allows them burrow their mouth into logs and narrow spaces where they can catch their prey. To assist with swimming they have a small dorsal hump for stabilization and a pair of curved flippers to help with swimming.īecause their vertebrae isn’t fused or connected the way other mammals are these dolphins can turn their head a full 90 degrees allowing them to fully view their surroundings. The body is fairly streamlined and thickest near the middle. In terms of weight some dolphins can grow to weigh as much as 450 pounds or more, however as with their height these dolphins are generally smaller and lighter weighing between 180 – 220 lbs. When it comes to size these dolphins can grow to be over 8 ft. in length, but are typically smaller in size. The most we’ll known and common colors for these marine mammals is gray and pink, however depending on their age and level of maturity their skin can turn various shades of white, yellow, pink, brown or gray. The Amazon river dolphin can vary widely in terms of color. The franciscana dolphin lives in or near the coastal shores in saltwater. This dolphin is one of several species among the river dolphin family.Īll dolphins with the exception of the franciscana dolphin (la plata dolphin) live in fresh water rivers. These marine mammals belong to the family commonly known as Cetacea which also includes whales and porpoises. The amazon river dolphin is a small dolphin that can be found swimming in the Amazon river. ![]()
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