Animal of the Week February 21, 2005 -- River dolphin

Hi,

First of all, my apologies for the lateness of AOTW, obviously the biggest losers are the animals which only get the title for a few days. I hope never to be so tardy again.

This week's animal of the week is Inia geoffrensis (Amazon river dolphin or boto). Botos are the the largest river dolphins (other species found in South and Central America and Asia) and reach a maximum size of about 2.5 m. These are some of the only dolphins that can bend their necks, as the vertebrae aren't fused. From the mouth of the Amazon to the foothills of the Andes, botos—which can be bright pink in colour (although white is more common)—feature strongly in Amazon folklore, some indigenous people believe botos can transform into human form at night, come onto land, and cause harm to people who have been naughty (or twee). When the river floods, botos leave the chanel and swim among the tree trunks and low branches of the forest in search of a fish supper.