The species was described by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1817. Rice's 1998 classification lists a single species, Inia geoffrensis in the genus Inia, with three recognized subspecies. Some older classifications, as well as some recent publications, listed the boliviensis population as a separate species; however, a great majority of the scientific community, including the IUCN, consider the  boliviensis population to be a subspecies of Inia geoffrensis. The species separated from its oceanic relatives during the Miocene epoch. Sea levels were higher at that time, says biologist Healy Hamilton of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and large parts of South America, including the Amazon Basin, may have been flooded by shallow, more or less brackish water. When this inland sea retreated, Hamilton hypothesizes, the Amazon dolphins remained in the river basin, evolving into striking creatures that bear little resemblance to our beloved Flipper. The Amazon river dolphin is found throughout the Amazon and Orinoco. It is particularly abundant in lowland rivers with extensive floodplains. During the annual rainy season, these rivers flood large areas of forests and marshes along their banks. The Amazon river dolphin specializes in hunting in these habitats, taking advantage of its unusually flexible neck and spinal cord to maneuver among the underwater tree trunks, and using its long snout to extract prey fish from hiding places in hollow logs and thickets of submerged vegetation. When the water levels drop, the dolphins move either into the main river channels or into large lakes in the forest, and take advantage of the concentrated prey in these reduced water bodies. They feed on crustaceans, crabs, small turtles, catfish, piranha, shrimp, and other fish. The male reaches sexual maturity at about 7 feet (2 m) and the female at about 5.5 feet (1.7 m). Most calves are born between July and September after a gestation period of 9 to 12 months; they are about 32 inches long at birth (80 cm) and weigh about 15 pounds. The young follow their parents closely for a few months, and often two adults are seen swimming with two or more small juveniles. In traditional Amazon River folklore, at night, an Amazon river dolphin becomes a handsome young man who seduces girls, impregnates them, and then returns to the river in the morning to become a 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 those of humans. Others believe the myth served (and still serves) as a way of hiding the incestuous relations which are quite common in some small, isolated communities along the river. In the area, there are tales that it is bad luck to kill a dolphin. Legend also states that if a person makes eye contact with an Amazon river dolphin, he or she will have lifelong nightmares. Local legends also state that the dolphin is the guardian of the Amazonian manatee, and that, should one wish to find a manatee, one must first make peace with the dolphin. Associated with these legends is the use of various fetishes, such as dried eyeballs and genitalia. These may or may not be accompanied by the intervention of a priest. A recent study has shown, despite the claim of the seller and the belief of the buyers, none of these fetishes are derived from the boto. They are derived from Sotalia guianensis, are most likely harvested along the coast and the Amazon River delta, and then are traded up the Amazon River. In inland cities far from the coast, many, if not most, of the fetishes are derived from domestic animals such as sheep and pigs. The 1987 Brazilian film Ele, o Boto is a supernatural romance featuring an Amazon river dolphin which has a son by a young woman. |
See Also:
| Manaus | Map | Things to do | Landmarks | History | Useful Info | Weather | Rubber Tree | Amazon Theatre | Native Brazilian / Indegenous | Stick Insect | Survival in the Amazon Jungle | Tarantula | Brazilian Carnaval | Caiman / Alligator | Termites | Amazon River Dolphins / Pink Dolphins | Piranha | Spiders | Water Lilies | Meeting of the Waters | Amazon River / Amazonas Rives | Amazon Jungle / Amazonas Jungle |
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