Why is the Boto dolphin pink?
The coloring is believed to be scar tissue from rough games or fighting over conquests. The brighter the pink, the more attractive the males are to females—at least during mating season, which takes place when the water has receded and males and females are confined to the river channel again.
Are Boto dolphins intelligent?
Represented in the media as friendly and highly intelligent creatures, dolphins have always received quite a bit of attention from animal lovers. The pink river dolphin, also known as the Amazon River dolphin or Boto, is a freshwater subspecies with a lot of personalities.
Are Boto dolphins friendly?
When botos do show an interest in humans, though, they’re very friendly. They’re sometimes known to play with children in shallow water. If you believe local legends, botos go to great lengths to be friendly with people.
Is Boto a whale?
The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale classified in the family Iniidae.
Are Boto dolphins endangered?
Not extinct
Amazon river dolphin/Extinction status
Do dolphins blush?
Dolphins actually DO blush (their bellies turn pink). But it’s not because they’re embarrassed. Instead, it’s a way that dolphins dump excess heat when they’re active, especially during summer months in Florida.
What do Boto dolphins eat?
fish
Their diet is mostly comprised of fish, but they may also eat turtles, crabs and shellfish. To attract a mate, the males will carry branches or other items in their mouths to suggest to the females that they would like to mate. They breed seasonally and have their pups in May and June time.
What color is Boto dolphins?
pale pink color
The Boto is a pale pink color and has a rounded head, long snout and a small dorsal fin. They also have a flexible neck, which allows it to sweep its head from left to right. 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 9.8 ft.) up to 160 kg (353 lbs.)
What is a Boto in Brazil?
Traditional Amazonian belief holds that the boto is a magical being able to take the form of a human and come ashore—with a hat to hide its telltale blowhole. An Amazon river dolphin, also called a boto, pauses for an underwater portrait in Brazil.
What makes the Amazon river dolphin stand out from other dolphins?
The Amazon River dolphin also stands out from other dolphin species due to its coloration, ranging from bluish grey to white, and, sometimes, pink. Some vertebrae of the dolphin are unfused, making the neck of the animal amazingly flexible, which allows the dolphin to move its head in almost all directions.
How much does a dolphin weigh?
Weight is up to 350 pounds (160 kg). Amazon River dolphins feed on Amazon catfish and other heavily scaled fish, including piranhas, as well as bottom-dwelling crustaceans. The male reaches sexual maturity at about 7 feet (2 m) and the female at about 5.5 feet (1.7 m).
What are the adaptations of a boto?
A unique adaptation lets botos swim easily between trees and through tangles of branches: unfused neck vertebrae, which allows them to bend at up to a 90-degree angle. In addition, the boto’s long snout comes in handy for rooting through river mud for crustaceans or darting among branches after small fish.