Boto Dolphin Skull Replica measures 18.8 inches. Boto Dolphin Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as Amazon River Dolphin.
Amazon river dolphin also known as the Boto, Bufeo or Pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale classified in the family Iniidae endemic to South America.
Boto Dolphin teeth differ in shape and length, with differing functions for both grabbing and crushing prey. Anterior teeth are conical and later have ridges on the inside of the crown.
Three subspecies are currently recognized: Amazon river dolphin, Bolivian river dolphin and Irinoco river dolphin. The three subspecies are distributed in the Amazon basin, the upper Madeira River in Bolivia, and the Orinoco basin.
Boto Dolphin has small eyes, the species seems to have good eyesight in and out of the water.
Boto Dolphin has a melon on the head, the shape of which can be modified by muscular control when used for biosonar. They live in sluggish waters of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Boto Dolphins have one of the widest ranging diets among toothed whales, and feed on up to 53 different species of fish, such as croakers, catfish, tetras and piranhas. They also consume other animals such as river turtles and freshwater crabs.
The Boto Dolphin is the largest river dolphin. Adult males reach a maximum length and weight of 8.4 ft. and 408 lb. while females reach a length and weight of 7.1 ft. and 330 lb.
It has very evident sexual dimorphism, with males measuring and weighing between 16 percent and 55 percent more than females, making it unique among cetaceans, where females are generally larger than males.
The texture of the Boto Dolphin body is robust and strong but flexible. Unlike in oceanic dolphins, the cervical vertebrae are not fused, allowing the head to turn 90 degrees.
The flukes are broad and triangular, and the dorsal fin, which is keel shaped, is short in height but very long, extending from the middle of the body to the caudal region.
The pectoral fins are large and paddle shaped. The length of Boto Dolphin fins allows the animal to perform a circular movement, allowing for exceptional maneuverability to swim through the flooded forest but decreasing its speed.
The skull of the species is slightly asymmetrical compared to the other toothed whales. It has a long, thin snout, with 25 to 28 pairs of long and slender teeth to each side of both jaws.
Dentition is heterodont, meaning that the teeth differ in shape and length, with differing functions for both grabbing and crushing prey.
They have one of the widest ranging diets and feed on up to 53 different species of fish, such as croakers, catfish, tetras and piranhas. They also consume other animals such as river turtles, aquatic frogs, and freshwater crabs.
Anterior teeth are conical and later have ridges on the inside of the crown. Despite small eyes, the species seems to have good eyesight in and out of the water.
The Boto dolphin has a melon on the head, the shape of which can be modified by muscular control when used for biosonar. Breathing takes place every 30 to 110 seconds.
It is the only species of river dolphin kept in captivity, mainly in Venezuela and Europe. It is difficult to train and a high mortality rate is seen among captive individuals.
In 2018, this species was ranked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered, with a declining population.
Threats include incidental catch in fishing lines, direct hunting for use as fish bait or predator control, damming, and pollution; as with many species, habitat loss and continued human development is becoming a greater threat.
