Pink Dolphin Physical Description

Pink Dolphin Physical Description

Size: 2.5 to 3 meters (8.25 ft to 9.75 ft) and 90 kilograms (200 lbs.).
Males are generally larger.

Habitat and Distribution: Tributaries and main rivers of the Orinoco River systems of South America. They tend to gather at confluences of rivers.

Reproduction: Pink Dolphin Calves can be born between July and September, but in front of Dolphin Corners, our lodge becomes a nursery for calves during December-February. Calves are born about 75 cm (30 in.) long, and weighing just over 1 kg. (2.2 lbs.) after a gestation period believed to be nine to twelve months. Sexual maturity in males is reached when they are about two meters (7 ft.) long, and females at 1.7 meter (5.5 ft.) at an unknown age

Diet: Crustaceans, catfish and small fresh water fish. A unique characteristic of Inia geoffrensis is the unfused vertebrae in its neck, which allows for the 180-degree head turn, giving them greater flexibility in floodplain forests, grassland, tributaries and shallow waters. Pink Dolphin have a hump on their back instead of a dorsal fin.

Coloration: The reasons for the unique coloration of Inia geoffrensis are poorly understood, but the presence of capillaries near the surface of the skin probably accounts for much of its characteristic pink flush. Other factors may include age of the animal, chemical disposition of the water (especially iron content), and the temperature of the water.
Pink Dolphin
river-pink-dolphins

Biology of River Dolphins

Biology of River Dolphins
About Pink dolphins
Social Habits

Ecological factors strongly influence social behavior. Because Amazon River dolphins do not have any known natural predators -- other than humans -- they do not need to live in large groups, or "pods," protection as many dolphin species.

Inia geoffrensis (pink dolphins) engage in solitary hunting/feeding strategies during the high water season when their prey fishes disperse into the floodplains. At other times, they are found in small "family" groups of 5-8 animals which seem to be led by a dominant adult male. At river confluences, we have seen as many as 35 pink dolphins cooperatively herding and banking fish, often in association with the gray dolphins.

Sotalia fluviatlis (gray dolphins) are strongly gregarious animals and manifest strong social ties with their own kind. Given that they seem to practice a polyandrous breeding system and females tend to be a bit larger than males, they may have a matriarchal social order.
About Pink dolphins
pink-dolphin-data-2

The Pink Dolphin

THE PINK DOLPHIN

The Pink Dolphin lives in the Amazon Rainforest. It is usually found in the tributaries and main rivers of the Orinoco River systems in South America. This animal can stay summerged up to fifteen minutes in the rivers. Males sleep just below the surface and they come up to breathe as the reflex. The Pink Dolphin's body has adapted to the rivers of the Amazon.

The Pink Dolphin looks almost like the gray dolphin, but they have differences. It measures 2.5 to 3 meters long. Although males are generally larger. The color of its body is pale pink.
Instead of having a dorsal fin like the gray dolphin, it has a hump on its back. The Pink Dolphin's tale is bigger and it has 2 flippers that look like big leaves. The Pink Dolphin's neck is kind of long and his head has a little hump in the forehead. His beak is long and has tiny hairs on top. This animal has tiny eyes. The Pink Dolphin can turn its head 180 degrees, all the way around since it has an unfused vertebrae. It weighs approximately 90 kilograms. The Pink Dolphin got its amazing pink color from the kind of water it lives in, and the kind of food it eats.

The Pink Dolphins eat a large quantity of food per day. They don't like to eat alone, therefore when they find a school of fish; they make a loud sound to call their pod. The pods or
groups may dive below a school of fish and bring them to the surface. The kinds of fish they eat are crustaceans, catfish, and small fresh water fishes. During the night they hunt zooplankton. Almost all of the Pink Dolphin's adaptations help them find food.

The Pink Dolphin does not have many adaptations. During the years it developed a long beak to get it's prey. Its small eyes are also an adaptation; it helps the animal see better in the water. Their flexible bodies help them swim faster and get more food. These dolphins can swim at a speed of up to 20 miles per hour. Some of the Pink Dolphin's adaptations can help him protect it self.The Pink Dolphin does not have many enemies, so it has few ways to protect it self. One of the ways it protects it self is by staying with its pod or group. Another ways would be making
squeaking sounds to call its pod. If a Pink Dolphin is alone, it will use it's long beak to protect it self. This animal also uses his flippers for protection and also for mating.

The Pink Dolphin's sexual maturity age is unknown, but it does have a size when it is sexually mature. Males are 2 meters long when they are sexually mature, but females 1.7 meters when they are sexually mature. The mating season of the Pink Dolphins varies, but it is usually at the end of summer. Courtship rituals include lots of surfacing, breaching, flipper contact, and vocalizations. When they start mating, they hold onto each other with their flippers. Then fertilization takes place.
Something strange is that same sex dolphins can reproduce. The Pink Dolphin's gestation period is from 9-12 months. The calf's lactation period lasts 18-20 months. This means the calf drinks
milks from its mother from 18-20 months. Usually the Pink Dolphin that gives birth to the calf takes care of it with help of other dolphins from its pod. The mother raises and protects the calf for 1-3 years.

The calf's are protected a lot by their mother and by the mother's pod. They hide the calf's in their side to protect them. The mother covers with her body the calf. As the calf starts to get older, it leaves its mother, and gets a pod or group about the same age. With this group it protects it self from enemies.

The Pink Dolphin is a very nice and friendly animal. The only enemy it has is humans. Although the Pink Dolphin has 40% more brain capacity than humans do, it still gets killed and hurt by them.The Pink Dolphin is endangered, because of humans. Humans are destroying the South American Tropical Rainforest. They are also dumping chemicals on the rivers. Another reason is that they get trapped in fishnets accidentally. Humans are killing and making a beautiful species extinct. To stop this they are trying to do captive breeding programs, but a Pink Dolphin only survives 4 hours outside of the waters.

The Pink Dolphin is an amazing mammal. It lives in the Amazon River. This animal has adapted overtime to survive. Humans endanger this animal. Humans are causing this friendly animal to become extinct, by destroying it's habitat.
pink-and-gray-river-dolphins

River Pink Dolphins

River Pink Dolphins

The amazon river dolphins or botos are born grey and become pinker with age They have a long powerful beak, small eyes and are slow swimmers. When excited, dolphins will flush to a bright pink temporarily. They are unique among dolphins for having molar-like teeth and can chew their prey. Also another uniqueness is pink dolphins have small hairs on their rostrum which remain throughout their life. Another interesting habit is pink dolphins rest on the bottom of the river.pink dolphins are quite solitary animals, and are found in the main rivers of the amazon and orinoco river systems of tropical South America. They inhabit muddy stagnant water, and during flooding will move onto the flooded forests leaving them at risk of stranding. 

biology-of-river-gray-and-pink-dolphins

Pink Dolphin Data 2

Pink Dolphin Data 2

Ancestors: Ancestors of Pink Dolphins were a relatively successful marine group, but were displaced during the Miocene period by the appearance of more advanced delphinids. Inia may
have entered the Amazon from the Pacific Ocean approximately 15 million years ago, or from the Atlantic Ocean between 1.8 million and 5 million years ago. Their long beaks (often lined
with tiny hairs), small eyes, disproportionately large flippers and highly flexible bodies -- once considered "primitive" features -- are now recognized as specialized adaptions to a complex environment.

Soltalia fluviatlis is a warm-water coastal species distributed from the eastern coast of Central America down along the northeastern coast of South America. No one knows for sure when
some of these delphinids began to occupy and adapt to freshwater river systems. They are one of the few delphinid species which can move freely between fresh, brackish, and marine waters.
Intelligence: The intelligence of Amazon River dolphins has not been extensively tested. Their encephalization quotient (the ratio of brain mass to body weight) compares favorably with that
of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops). The gray dolphins tend to be more "cautious" than the pink dolphins, perhaps because of their small size and very delicate skin. On the other hand, Inia
is known for its highly developed sense of curiousity and it rapidly associates with man in a variety of serious and playful ways.
About Pink Dolphin...
pink-dolphin-data

Biology of River Gray and Pink Dolphins

Biology of River Gray and Pink Dolphins

Social Habits

Ecological factors strongly influence social behavior. Because Amazon River dolphins do not have any known natural predators -- other than humans -- they do not need to live in large groups, or "pods," protection as many dolphin species.

Inia geoffrensis (pink dolphins) engage in solitary hunting/feeding strategies during the high water season when their prey fishes disperse into the floodplains. At other times, they are found in small "family" groups of 5-8 animals which seem to be led by a dominant adult male. At river confluences, we have seen as many as 35 pink dolphins cooperatively herding and banking fish, often in association with the gray dolphins.

Sotalia fluviatlis (gray dolphins) are strongly gregarious animals and manifest strong social ties with their own kind. Given that they seem to practice a polyandrous breeding system
and females tend to be a bit larger than males, they may have a matriarchal social order.
About Pink Dolphin....
pink-dolphin-data.