Amazon River Dolphin vs Gharial

Inia geoffrensis compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

Amazon River Dolphin is Data Deficient while Gharial is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Amazon River Dolphin	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Iniidae	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Inia	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Inia geoffrensis	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Amazon River Dolphin and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Amazon River Dolphin

DD — Data Deficient

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Amazon River Dolphin	Gharial
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	60 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Amazon River Dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Amazon River Dolphin

The Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is a species in the genus Inia. Its conservation status is listed as Data Deficient, indicating insufficient data for assessment. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.