South Asian river dolphin The sphincter-like structure is capable of sensing light, and may be able to sense the direction from where the light was emitted. However, the muddy waters, or low light conditions, that the "Platanista gangetica" inhabit negate the use of the little vision that remains. The Ganges subspecies shows object-avoidance behavior in both the consistently heavily murky waters of its habitat and in clear water in captivity, suggesting that it is capable of using echolocation effectively to navigate and forage for prey. However, there is limited information on how extensively vocalization is utilized between individuals. This subspecies of river dolphin is
Endangered species Endangered species An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as very likely to become extinct. Endangered (EN), as categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after (CR). In 2012, the IUCN Red List featured 3079 animal and 2655 plant species as endangered (EN) worldwide. The figures for 1998 were, respectively, 1102 and 1197. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Population numbers, trends and species' conservation status