One of the 17 dolphins on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Iniidae
Amazon River Dolphin
Inia geoffrensis
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
It is the only dolphin in the world with heterodont teeth (two distinct kinds in the same jaw), and its skin shifts gradually from grey to a striking pink as the animal ages.
Weight
84 kg – 160 kg
Size
1.8 m – 2.8 m
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- comunicaciónMales urinate into the air during social encounters, a behaviour researchers believe may work as a chemical signal.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (freshwater aquatic mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Rivers, lakes and igapós (flooded forest) of the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America
- Birth weight
- 6.8 - 12 kg; 80 cm long at birth
- Size at birth
- 80 cm long at birth
- Sexual maturity
- 9.7 years on average (from 1.6-2 m in length)
- Gestation / incubation
- 11-13 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young, with an interval between births of 3-4.6 years
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of 31.3 years in captivity
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Oxford Academic (reproductive parameters study); AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); IGB Berlin; Animal Spot; Facts About Animals; ResearchGate (illegal harvest survival study)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Amazon River Dolphin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
EndangeredGiant Otter
Pteronura brasiliensis
Water Opossum
Chironectes minimus
Bush Dog
Speothos venaticus
Greater Grison
Galictis vittata
Northern Caiman Lizard
Dracaena guianensis
VulnerableAmazonian Manatee
Trichechus inunguis
How to help
The amazon river dolphin is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 9 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about amazon river dolphin.
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