mazonian rivers around Iquitos. Their pink color is due to blood capillaries near its skin and unlike other dolphins they have a hump instead of a fin and a long bottle nose snout instead of a short one. A distinctive characteristic of the pink dolphin is that they can turn their neck 180 degrees due to an unfused vertebra in its neck.
The average pink dolphin is 8.25ft to 9.75ft long (2.5 to 3 meters) and weights 200lbs (90 kilos). Males are usually larger and heavier. Their diet consists of fresh water fish, crustaceans and turtles. The pink dolphin is a solitary creature unlike their more social relative, the tucuxi.
Pink dolphin or bufeo
The giant river otter
The giant river otter is considerably larger and heavier than other river otters at over six feet long and an average of 210 pounds. This species of river otters is very social and communicative, they are rarely found alone and communicate through high pitched screeches. They live in groups of five to ten and eat mostly fish.
The giant river otter is a highly endangered animal in the Amazon River, only 2,000 to 5,000 remain in protected areas in the Amazon basin. Its population once extended from Venezuela to Argentina but because of fur hunting and habitat destruction its numbers have dramatically decreased. These mammals can be seen at the Manu National Park and at the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
Amazon giant river otter
One of the most recognizable Amazon River fish is the piranha. These are small fish with very sharp teeth which local indigenous people use as cutting tools. These small fish are an important part of the Amazon River’s ecosystem as they eat weak or dead fish and dead animals that would otherwise pollute the waters of the Amazon River. The number of piranha species is estimated to be between 30 and 60. Only five of them pose danger to humans; the red bellied piranha or Pygocentrus nattereri, white piranha or Serrasalmus rhombeus, Serrasalmus Piraya, silver piranha or Serrasalmus Ternetzi and Serrasalmus Hollandi.
Piranhas help keep rivers clean
Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis)
The Amazonian manatee is the largest mammal living in the Amazon River at over 1,000 pounds (454 kilos) and 9 feet (3 meters) long. They are found in the northern Amazon River Basin and its tributaries and are locally known as “seacows”. Their skin is thick, wrinkled and grey in color. The manatee is an herbivore so it depends heavily on vegetation near the rivers, over the years soil erosion from deforestation has been affecting its food supply making it scarcer. During the wet season the manatee can eat up to 110 pounds a day to build up reserves for the dry months.
For centuries the Amazonian manatee has been hunted by local Indians who consumed their meat and used their oil and fat. Demand for the animal expanded making it commercially profitable. Another factor affecting its population is accidentally getting caught in commercial fishing nets. They are classified as vulnerable in the endangered species list.
Amazonian manatee or seacow
Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis)
The tucuxi is locally known as bufeo gris or bufeo negro. Tucuxi, pronounced “too-koo-shee” is one of the two species of river dolphin that live in the Amazon River and its tributaries, the other one is the pink dolphin. The tucuxi looks like a bottlenose dolphin with dark gray to light gray coloration but much smaller in size. On average a tucuxi grows between three to five feet long and their weight range is between 95 to 120 pounds. Their diet consists mainly of fish.
Tucuxi, one of the two species of river dolphins in the Amazon River.
Giant Amazon River turtle (Podocnemis expansa)
The giant Amazon River turtle is also known as Charapa turtle, Arrau turtle, Tartaruga-da-amazônia, or Araú. An adult turtle can grow to more than 3.3 feet (1 meter) in length and they often weight up to 200 pounds, female turtles have a larger shell and are heavier than male turtles. This species of turtles do not leave the water, only females do to lay their eggs on the sandy beaches and immediately return to th