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Animal profile

Amazon River Dolphin

Inia geoffrensis

MammaliaRivers, lakes and seasonally flooded forest of the Amazon and Orinoco basinsEndangered

Field profile

The Amazon river dolphin, or boto, is the largest freshwater dolphin, reaching about 2.5 metres. It has an unfused neck, broad paddle-like flippers and a low ridge in place of a dorsal fin, all suiting movement through flooded forest. Adults range from grey to a striking pink.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-06-26

Amazon River Dolphin

The pinkest river dolphins are the most scarred

Botos are born grey and many adults turn pink, but the colour is not evenly distributed. Males are pinker than females, and the pinkest males are those carrying the most bite marks from fights with other males.

Read with evidence →

Amazon River Dolphin | Daily Animal Facts