See what “Iniya” is in other dictionaries. Where does the pink dolphin live?

Bright pink spots flash among the trees, slide between the branches, and gracefully bend around trunks swollen with water. These are Amazonian river dolphins, also known as boutos (for the locals) or inii (Inia geoffrensis), frolicking in the flooded jungle. The Amazon, having overflowed during the rainy season, flooded the jungle in its upper reaches, thus giving the dolphins a chance for real forest hunting. Why do dolphins, the original inhabitants of the salty sea ​​waters, moved to fresh water bodies? Healy Hamilton, a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences, explains that about 15 million years ago, during the Miocene epoch, sea levels were higher, and therefore large parts of the current South America were under thick salt water. Hamilton's hypothesis is that over time, the sea gradually retreated to modern boundaries, and some of the dolphins remained in their former territories. And over millions of years in the Amazon basin they turned into completely amazing creatures, not much like everyone’s favorite movie hero Flipper.

Pink color is not the only way to attract a female. Sometimes the bowto takes a bunch of plants or a piece of wood in its beak, begins to circle and hit the water with its prey. Local residents thought for a long time that this was just a game, until Martin discovered: only males hold objects in their mouths - and only in the presence of females.

Bouto reaches almost two and a half meters in length and weighs about 200 kilograms. His distinctive feature- a long, leathery snout, similar to a beak or sting, which is so convenient for digging out crustaceans from the bottom silt and catching fish rushing about in a tangle of branches. The cervical vertebrae of Amazonian dolphins do not fuse together, and therefore their heads can rotate at an angle of 90 degrees to the body - a very useful ability for navigating among trees. Another distinctive feature river dolphins– small eyes: in muddy water Sight is of little use anyway, and it’s easier to find prey using echolocation. River dolphins are not only found in the Amazon; they can also be found in the Indian Ganges, the Pakistani Indus and in the waters of the Rio de La Plata between Argentina and Uruguay. There are four species of river dolphins, and the bouto is the largest of them. Until recently, there were five species of river dolphins. However, already at the beginning of this century, dolphins from the Chinese Yangtze River were completely destroyed - since 2002, scientists have not been able to detect them. According to Hamilton, at first glance, all freshwater dolphins appear to be the same, but their four genera belong to three different families. Judging by DNA tests, river dolphins diverged earlier than sea dolphins from their common ancestors, the ancestors of cetaceans, in at least three cases - first in India, then in China and South America. The evolution of each of the families proceeded independently and in parallel - geographically isolated and genetically various types, adapting to similar conditions, eventually acquired similar characteristics. Every spring gives Amazonian dolphins a chance to leave the narrow confines of the river bed and remember their ancient, vast homeland. Tony Martin from the University of Kent in England studies dolphins in nature reserve Mamirahua has been in western Brazil for 16 years. Here, two tributaries of the Amazon flood thousands of square kilometers of jungle for six months, turning it into a huge lake under tree cover. Martin and his Brazilian colleague Vera da Silva discovered that female dolphins were swimming deeper into the forest, perhaps to hide from the aggressive bright pink males. Females are mostly gray in color; But the males, Martin and da Silva believe, acquired their cute pink color as a result of multiple wounds. “On large males there is no living space from scars,” says Martin. “They fight furiously for life and death: they bite off each other’s jaws, tails, fins, and tear apart each other’s blowholes.” There are few bright pink males, but they are the ones who have greatest success in females - at least during mating season, when the water returns to the river bed and the females are forced to swim back from the deep jungle. Pink color is not the only way to attract a female. Sometimes the bowto takes a bunch of plants or a piece of wood in its beak, begins to circle and hit the water with its prey. Local residents thought for a long time that this was just a game, until Martin discovered: only males hold objects in their mouths - and only in the presence of females. In addition, during this demonstration, the likelihood of a fight among males increases 40 times. It turns out that both, trying to impress their friends, show off items they generally don’t need. “It’s like some guy showing off his Ferrari,” Martin explains. By the way, besides dolphins, only monkeys and humans use objects to show off. Martin believes that there are only about 100 thousand Amazon dolphins left in the wild, and they are in great danger. In seven years, the population from the Mamiraua reserve has halved. Fishermen use dolphin meat as bait for catfish, and often the bouto accidentally gets caught in the net and suffocates, unable to surface. According to ancient local beliefs, the bouto is a magical creature that can change its appearance. Sometimes it comes out of the river in the form of a person to lure gullible men and women into a fabulous underwater kingdom. They even say that dolphins wear hats so that their blowholes and onion-like heads are not visible. But, alas, no less rich Chinese myths did not help the white dolphins of the Yangtze. How to save the buto from the fate of their relatives?

In the USA, in the southwest of Louisiana is located salt lake Kalsasue. In 2009, the captain of a local shipping company, Eric Rui, discovered and photographed a rare pink bottlenose in the waters of the lake. Apparently, this is the only representative in the world that has such a rare color found in nature. According to Captain Rui, the unique animal always appears on the surface in the company of four other relatives, one of which, apparently, is its mother, who does not want to let go of her offspring.

The unusual one is quite socialized. Its behavior is no different from the behavior of other animals of this species. It is only noticed that it appears less often and remains on the surface somewhat longer than other individuals. According to scientists, the dolphin is quite healthy, and its unusual color is not at all a consequence of unfavorable conditions. environmental situation or harmful solar radiation. This unique animal looks at the world with red eyes, which indicates albinism.

Albinism is a fairly rare genetic trait characterized by the congenital absence of melanin, the substance that determines the color of the eyes, skin and hair.

So, the unique pink dolphin, according to experts, is an albino, although it is completely unclear how he inherited such a rare genetic quality.

Pink Amazon Dolphins

However, if we talk about the rare coloration of cetaceans, the glamorous dolphin is not as lonely as it might seem. Inii, or Amazonian river dolphins are fawn-gray with white. As they age, their bodies become pinkish or bluish in color. How did it happen that dolphins, the original inhabitants of salt waters, settled in rivers?

It is assumed that 15 million years ago the level of the World Ocean was higher. Vast areas of what is now South America were under water. When the ocean retreated, the dolphins remained in their former territories.

River dolphins are different from the well-known ocean dolphins. They have a highly elongated leathery snout that resembles a beak. The main difference is that the cervical vertebrae of a river dolphin are not fused and the head can rotate at an angle of 90 degrees. relative to the body. This is very convenient when sailing between flooded trees, of which there are many in the Amazon and its tributaries.

The branch of river dolphins separated earlier than others from the common ancestor of cetaceans and developed independently. Therefore, along with general features they have some features that distinguish them from the oceanic representatives of dolphins.

Amazon pink dolphins are slower moving than their counterparts. The usual speed of movement is 3-4 km/h, and the maximum is about 18. Amazonian inias are playful and curious, easily tamed, but difficult to train. Therefore, they are rarely seen in aquariums. Local residents consider dolphins sacred. Following the dolphins, fishermen find schools of fish. In addition, ini disperse piranhas.

River pink dolphins in the largest rivers of South America - the Amazon, Orinoco, which flow through Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Guiana. Amazon river dolphins are listed as an endangered species on the International Red List.

Inia (or buto) lives in Brazil. This Amazonian dolphin has a very original coloring: from pale blue to reddish pink. There are also some changes in color - with blackish and redder shades. The Amazonian dolphin lives exclusively in fresh water, that’s why it’s called river. That's enough large mammal from the suborder of toothed whales, distributed in all areas of the Amazon, including small rivers and lakes. And when the water rises, these creatures swim from one to another, changing their habitat.

Amazonian dolphin. Description

As a rule, these animals are not prone to group existence. Only during periods when reproduction occurs. According to the evidence of researchers of the animal world of the Amazon, they also do not have a special hierarchy. These mammals are active both day and night. By the way, like all dolphins, inias never sleep. That is, only one hemisphere of the dolphin’s brain rests, and the second is awake, allowing the dolphin not to suffocate in the depths of the water. After all, in order to live, the Amazonian river dolphin must come to the surface and inhale every 2-3 minutes. And then left, then right hemisphere The brain rests on average 5-6 hours a day. The body of the animal is plump, thinning towards the tail. It is almost perfectly streamlined. The muzzle is narrow and long. It has a slightly downward beak and rather sharp teeth.

Color

It changes in dolphins as they grow older. So, young people are grayish-blue with a light belly. In adults, the belly is almost white, and the back is pink or pale blue. Those individuals that live in lakes are much darker than their river counterparts.

Height, weight, speed

The Amazon dolphin is the largest freshwater dolphin. The length of adult males reaches two and a half meters. But on average - about two. Females are slightly smaller. The weight of an adult can reach more than 200 kilograms (on average, more than a hundred). The Amazon dolphin (name in Latin - Inia geoffrensis) swims much slower compared to sea and ocean cetaceans: average speed- 3-5 kilometers per hour. But it can develop a maximum of 22. And when swimming, it can dive and maneuver quite well.

Nutrition

The Amazonian dolphin (photo above) feeds mainly on small fish. Sometimes he allows himself to feast on small turtles and crabs in shallow water. At the same time, he is quite gluttonous, and can eat over 12 kilograms of food per day.

Amazonian dolphin vision

The eyeballs of this mammal are not like the eyes of other cetaceans living in marine or oceanic environments. In India, both the lens and the cornea have acquired a yellow color, which protects against bright sun. Whereas the bottlenose dolphin's eyes, for example, are adapted to capture even the weakest light. This, like the lens itself shifted deeper, indicates a predisposition to surface rather than aquatic vision. But these assumptions are not confirmed by the structure of the neck and vertebrae of the Amazon dolphin, so the vision of a river mammal can baffle some scientists.

Number, population

Inia is the most abundant species freshwater dolphins. Although in lately in the book of endangered animals has a "vulnerable" status. The mammal's range remains fairly stable, compared, for example, with the declining numbers of the lake dolphin. Determining the number of individuals is very difficult, since inias live in hard-to-reach areas. But populations are believed to number tens of thousands of individuals. The number of this species is greatly influenced by human activity: construction of dams, fishing. For example, dams impede the migration of pink dolphins, reducing genetic diversity. And deforestation of the Amazon and pesticides and waste from ore and gold mines have an additional impact negative impact.

Reproduction

Male inias are often covered with bite marks and scars - this is how the males compete for the right to possess the female. Mating occurs vigorously, pregnancy is long - eleven months. After which a single baby is born (birth lasts up to 5 hours). Birth is accompanied by pushing the baby to the surface, which is performed by the female, so that he can inhale air. Otherwise, the child may die. The weight of a newborn is about 7 kilograms. All this happens in early June, when the water in the ecosystem rises as high as possible. Until it falls, females with children remain in the flooded plains, and males can return to the rivers. The cubs are fed with milk, which is much more nutritious than cow's or human milk, and in order for the cub, which cannot suck (dolphins do not have movable lips, like many mammals), to feed, there is a system invented by nature for injecting milk under water. Children stay close to their mothers until they are 3 years old and feed on mother's milk for a year.

Myths and legends

Inia, or bouto (as the Amazonian dolphin is called in the local dialect), is quite popular among the Brazilian Indians. They do not kill it or use it for food, treating it with deep respect. And not only because the meat of the river dolphin is quite stringy and tough, there is not enough fat, and the skin is suitable only for making shields. The locals have legends and magical stories about this mammal, passed down from generation to generation. The image of Inia is interpreted as an evil sorceress who can lure young and inexperienced natives into her abyss in order to destroy them. According to legends, in this form, inia even appears on the streets, and many people over the centuries become captivated and follow the magician. And time after time, Inia hugs the chosen victims and disappears into the waves of the river with a cry of victory. Therefore, among the Amazon Indians, they will not specifically kill an Amazonian dolphin, unless by pure chance. But even then it is necessary to perform certain rituals in order to avoid troubles. And although dolphin fat is quite suitable for burning, for example, in primitive native lamps, no one will use such a light source, in order to avoid troubles that could befall the Indian.

These wonderful inhabitants of sea waters amaze with their amazing intelligence and attract you to them with some inexplicable magnetism. This article will talk about one of the most unique varieties of this interesting and charming animal.

Do pink dolphins exist? Yes, and this is not mysticism or an anomaly. It turns out that among the huge variety of animals on planet Earth, there are also pink dolphins. There is even a whole population of them.

Amazon

The waters of this famous river are almost white (opaque) due to the incredibly huge amount of silt at its bottom. The world's largest water lilies grow in them, and palm trees, cinchona trees and papayas grow on the green fairy-tale banks of the river.

Where does the pink dolphin live? The waters of the famous Amazon River are home to some of the most curious mammals, and not only there. Pink dolphins can also be found in natural reservoirs of Bolivia, Venezuela, Northern Peru and Brazil. They also live in small rivers and lakes in the Amazon basin.

In addition, due to the fact that the tributaries of the Amazon connect with the river. Orinoco, these dolphins can be found there too. They live almost throughout Latin America.

It is the Amazonian dolphins, as a rule, that are not prone to changing their habitats; they are characterized only by seasonal migrations: when the water level in the river drops, they simply move to deeper places. During periods of river flooding, they can be seen frolicking on flooded floodplains. And with the onset of the rainy season, they can move from one river basin to another.

Pink Amazon dolphins: description

These dolphins are also known as inia or buto.

These are the largest species of river dolphins. The length of some adult individuals reaches 2.5 and even 3 meters, and their weight is about 200 kg.

Amazon river dolphins are usually born dark in color. With age they gradually lighten. Their body is full, while the head and tail are narrow. The back and nose are grayish in color.

Characteristic features of pink Amazonian dolphins: a rounded, steep forehead, small eyes, a slightly curved beak, covered with hard bristles below and above. Corneas protecting a dolphin from bright lights sun rays, painted in yellow. The presence of their neck allows them to easily turn their heads, and the dorsal fin replaces their hump.

Due to the fact that these dolphins have thick cheeks, they have to swim belly up while searching for food at the bottom of the river.

Legends

Pink dolphins are sacred to the locals. There are several legends about them. One of them says that at night the bouto turns into a handsome young man who kidnaps women to procreate.

Another legend says that Inia is actually an evil witch who appears to young men in the form of a beautiful long-haired girl. In this way, she lures young boys to the river bank, where she embraces them in her tight embrace and throws herself into the waves, drowning the victim. At the same time, she lets out a loud cry of victory.

Habits and behavior

IN to a greater extent these dolphins live their entire lives in one place, only sometimes (during seasonal migration), as noted above, they move.

By nature, pink dolphins (inii) are curious and playful. They are quite good at taming, but are not at all amenable to training, as they are quite aggressive. For this reason, pink dolphins are practically not kept in aquariums.

It should be noted that inias are not afraid of piranhas, which are full of the waters of the Amazon, they even disperse them. In waters where Amazonian dolphins are present, vacationers feel safe, and fishermen use them to determine the presence of schools of fish.
Botho lead a solitary lifestyle, and this does not prevent them from noisily communicating with each other. They publish until about 12 different sounds- squeals in very high tones, screams, whimpers, barks, clicks, etc. At any time of the day they lead a fairly active lifestyle.

Although they do not swim very fast (less than 3 km per hour), they maneuver well. Dolphins can stay underwater for up to 2 minutes. When diving, they look for crabs and fish.

Their lifespan has not yet been determined.

Differences from sea dolphins

1. The Bouto live alone, gathering in large groups only during the breeding season.

2. In captivity, pink dolphins live no more than 3 years; they die before they even reach sexual maturity.

3. Inias cannot be trained, although, like sea dolphins, they are easily tamed.

4. Once in aquariums, botos become aggressive.

5. They have features in appearance, especially in color: color varies from bright reddish shades to dark tones. Dolphins are more common with top part the body is gray or bluish in color, and the underside is pink.

Nutrition

Most often, pink dolphins are busy searching for food in the mouths and along the banks of rivers, and near waterfalls. Due to the fact that the water there is not transparent, the buto has to rely on its echolocation abilities and hearing. On average, dolphins eat approximately 12 kilograms of food per day. They eat, in addition to small fish (their main food), turtles and crabs. 12 kilograms is about 2 percent of total mass dolphin, and therefore they differ in the fullness of their body.

It also happens that Amazonian dolphins team up with other species or huge otters in order to jointly drive a school of fish into a trap.

Pink dolphins living in the wild are very curious and playful. In addition, these amazing animals play an important role in maintaining the river ecosystem. Eating, among other fish, also piranhas, they represent a powerful deterrent to the reproduction of this terrible fish.

Inia geoffrensis (Boto)
Order Cetaceans - Cetacea
Suborder Toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Family River dolphins (Platanistidae)

This is the largest of river dolphins and relatively easy to observe. Other names - Amazonian river dolphin, pink stormy dolphin, pink dolphin., is considered by most of the scientific community to be a subspecies of the Amazon River dolphin.

General information

• Status- vulnerable type (vulnerable)
• Habitat- in rivers.
• Number of groups- 1-2 (up to 15 during the dry season or in places rich in food).
• Location dorsal fin - slightly behind the center.
• Newborn weight- 7 kg.
• Adult weight- 85-160 kg.
• Newborn length- 75-80 cm.
• Adult Length- males reach a length of 2.5 m, females are much smaller.
• Lifespan unknown in nature.
• Eating fish and crabs.

Area

The range covers the Amazon River system with its tributaries in Brazil, Bolivia, Northern Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela (upper reaches of the Rio Negro), as well as the Orinoco River system, covering about 7 million km².

Highlight 3 (1998):

• Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis- found in the Amazon basin;
• Inia geoffrensis boliviensis- in the upper reaches of the Madeira River, separated from the rest of the Amazon by impassable rapids (Bolivia); in some classifications it is considered as a separate species;
• Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana- Orinoco basin.

Population size and status

Amazonian inia is the most prosperous species among river dolphins. However, in the lists of the International Red Book it has the status "vulnerable species"(vulnerable).

Compared to the rapidly declining ranges of the lake and Gangetic dolphins, the range of the inia remains stable, and determination of its numbers is difficult due to the inaccessibility of its habitats. Presumably it is calculated tens of thousands.

Population increase and anthropogenic pressure on environment have a negative impact on the Indian population. Reducing the number of fish as a result of fishing is one of the problems. Hydroelectric dams both impede fish migration and separate ini populations, potentially reducing genetic diversity within subpopulations.

Deforestation in flooded areas leads to a decrease in the food supply for fish that serve as food for the frost. Finally, water pollution agricultural pesticides and heavy metals (including mercury) from gold mines have a particularly negative impact on dolphins and their food supply.

Appearance

Steep forehead; a thin, slightly downward-curved beak with short bristles on the upper and lower jaws. They are located randomly and their ends are always directed backwards. The crescent-shaped blowhole is slightly shifted to the left. The neck crease may be noticeable. The neck is quite well defined, and the head can turn right and left up to 900. A hump replaces the dorsal fin. The dorsal spine extends in front of and behind the hump. The full body becomes thinner towards the tail.

The ini's eye is different from other cetaceans. If in Cetacea all adaptations are aimed at catching weak light, iniia have, as it were, “sunglasses”: the cornea and lens are yellow in color, protecting the eyes from sunlight.

This, as well as the large and protruding retina, the relatively large and retracted lens, indicates the adaptation of the eye to aerial rather than underwater vision. However, the behavior of the inias does not confirm this.

Young inii are pale-gray, adults are pale blue above, white below, sometimes pinkish; In lakes, individuals are darker than in rivers. The eyes are very small (the horizontal diameter of the eyeball is 13 mm, and the vertical diameter is 12 mm), but they function well.

The edges of the fins are often frayed. Teeth marks on the fins are left by relatives during fights or when pushing out individuals while helping them.

• bright pink, bluish-gray or not quite white body
• the hump and ridge replace the dorsal fin
• large, paddle-shaped fins
• long beak
• plump body
• slow swimmer
• can make small jumps

Lifestyle and nutrition

Mostly saddles However, they perform seasonal migrations depending on fluctuations in water levels.

During the dry season, when the rivers become shallow, the ini stay in the riverbeds large rivers. During the rainy season, they move into small channels, as well as into flooded plains and forests. During river floods, Indians can swim across flooded land from one river basin to another.

Inias, as a rule, live alone or in pairs (usually a female with a cub), rarely in groups of 3-6 individuals. Large flocks are observed in areas rich in food or during the breeding season.

Not territorial. Social hierarchy (in captivity) is not established, but they often show aggression towards each other, sometimes leading to death. Active both during the day and at night.

They swim slower than most dolphins: their usual speed is 1.5-3.2 km/h, maximum speed is 14-22 km/h. Very maneuverable. They dive shallowly; remain under water for 0.5-2 minutes. When exhaling, small fountains are released. They can jump more than 1 m out of the water.

Feeds food mainly small fish, eating 9-12 kg per day (about 2.5% own weight). Their diet is very diverse, including at least 43 species of fish from 19 families; prey sizes vary from 5 to 80 cm.

They prefer fish families Gorbylevs(Sciaenidae), cyclide(Cichlidae), characins(Characidae) and piranhas(Serrasalmidae); the structure of their teeth allows them to also eat Amazon river turtles(Podocnemis sextuberculata) and crabs(Poppiana argentiniana).

Their diet is most varied during the wet season, when the fish move to flooded lands and become more difficult to catch, and is more selective during the dry season. Ini feed most actively between 6-9 a.m. and 3-4 p.m.

They often hunt near the shore, in river mouths and under waterfalls, as well as where two rivers merge and the turbidity of the water disorients the fish, making it easier to catch. They dig through mud with their beak, taking food from the bottom. They can enter nets and steal fish from there.

In nature, inies are playful and quite curious. They take care of wounded and stranded relatives. They can swim up to boats and rub against them.

Lifespan in nature unknown. In captivity, Indians usually live no more than 33 months, although individuals have been known to live up to 10-26 years.

Cubs

The biology of reproduction is poorly understood. Presumably polygamous(signs of this are sexual dimorphism and aggressive behavior males). Males are often covered in bite marks and abrasions received during competition for a female.

Pregnancy lasts 11 months; labor lasts 4-5 hours. Birth the only one hatching occurs in May - July, i.e., during the period when the water is at its highest. The length of a newborn dolphin is 75-80 cm, weight is 7 kg; the female pushes it to the surface for the first breath.

Females with cubs remain in channels and on flooded plains when the water begins to subside (males return to the rivers earlier). This habitat has a number of benefits, including more food, the absence of strong currents and predators, and a reduced risk of aggression from adult males.

Lactation lasts up to 1 year, although the cub can stay close to its mother for up to 3 years. The interval between births is 15-36 months; frequently lactating females pregnant at the same time. Males and females reach sexual maturity by 5 years, with a body length of 2 m (males) and 1.6-1.7 m (females).

Amazonian inia and man

Commercial significance doesn't have. Portuguese colonists previously hunted river dolphins for lamp oil, but locals traditionally did not use their meat or skin. Body parts of dead frosts are used for amulets; fat in traditional medicine used as a remedy against asthma and rheumatism.

In the folklore of the Amazon peoples, boutos appear as the reborn souls of drowned people, or as werewolves (encantado), taking the form of beautiful young men and women. In addition to dispersing piranhas, anglers use their presence to detect schools of fish.

They catch frost, as a rule, by accident, when they inadvertently fall into fishing nets. They are also caught and destroyed by fishermen for damaging their nets and reducing their catch. Since 1988 this practice has been prohibited in Brazil and Bolivia and limited in Peru, Venezuela and Colombia.

They are well tamed, but they are aggressive and difficult to train, so they are quite rare in aquariums and oceanariums.

In aquariums, ini have 8-12 different types sounds: echolocation clicks, screams, high-pitched squeals, threat signals, barking, whimpering and others, but there were no whistles.