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Male dolphins in the Amazon exhibit unusual behavior, shooting jets up to 90 cm. It's not just water! (video)

Scientists have finally confirmed the unique behaviors of animals, yet they still do not understand the reasons behind them.
Самцы дельфинов в Амазонке удивляют: они "стреляют" струей длиной 90 см, но это не вода. Узнайте больше в нашем видео!

Our planet is home to an astonishing number of species, some of which exhibit truly bizarre behaviors. In a new study, researchers made a surprising discovery in the Amazon River, and the evidence for this finding was gathered not from the water, but from Popular Science.

During the research, a team from the Canadian research group CetAsia reviewed 219 hours of observations of male Amazon dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), also known as boto. As a result, they made an astonishing discovery: the male dolphins flipped onto their backs and urinated into the air, creating a stream that reached 91 centimeters. The scientists are unsure why they do this, but the behavior did not appear to be random.

In total, the researchers traveled along the Amazon for over four years and then carefully reviewed the collected video footage. They were able to document 36 separate instances of male boto urinating while swimming in a peculiar position — upside down.

According to the authors of the study, "airborne urination" begins with male botos slowly flipping over, raising their penis above the water, and then releasing a stream of urine into the air. But that's not all.

The researchers also discovered equally intriguing behavior among other males. Other male botos swam nearby during the urination process for about two-thirds of the time and often approached the urine stream as it landed approximately 90 centimeters away from them. Sometimes the males waited in place, but at other times they followed the trajectory of the urine, using their snouts or rostrums.

According to study author Clariane Araújo-Van, she and her colleagues were quite surprised. It is already known that urine is a common means of communication used by many terrestrial animals, including dogs, cats, and bears. Such behavior is much rarer in aquatic environments, but it does occur. For example, dominant males of African cichlids (Astatotilapia burtoni) interpret the pulsation of urine as reproductive and territorial information; narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) urinate to display aggression. However, the scientists noted that in both cases, it concerns the act itself, rather than the contents of the urine samples.

All of this makes the behavior of boto even more intriguing. The fact is that dolphins do not have a strong sense of smell or taste, so it is unclear how they interpret the urine streams. The researchers are uncertain, but suggested that males in the Amazon might rely on the bristles of their rostrums to explore the composition of their peers' urine. For example, its hormonal composition, which indicates physical health or social status.

However, even this does not explain why male botos release streams of urine into the air. The researchers acknowledged that "airborne urination likely serves a social function beyond waste elimination," but they did not settle on any specific reason other than possible "social or communicative functions."