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SPECIES PROFILE
Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)
Inia
IUCN STATUS
Endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Amazon and Orinoco river basins
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Amazon and Orinoco rivers, flooded forest
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Artiodactyla
FAMILY
Iniidae
GENUS
Inia
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 2.5 m; up to 185 kg
COLORATION
Grey when young, turning bright pink with age (especially males)
ADAPTATIONS
Flexible neck and long snout for hunting among flooded tree roots
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Amazon and Orinoco rivers, flooded forest
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Amazon and Orinoco river basins
REPRODUCTION
One calf every 2-3 years
DIET DETAILS
Fish, crabs and small turtles
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Fishing bycatch, mercury pollution, dams
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The 'boto' turns pink with age and is woven into Amazon folklore as a shapeshifter.
2
Unlike ocean dolphins, it can turn its head 90 degrees to weave through flooded forest.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Rio Negro (Anavilhanas)
Mamirauá Reserve
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
June-November
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Take boat trips on flooded-forest channels in the wet season; watch for pink backs breaking the surface.
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