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 and eighteen percent of the United States' known animals, fungi and plants are near extinction. This total is substantially more than the number of species protected in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. Ever since mankind began hunting to preserve itself, over-hunting and fishing has been a large and dangerous problem. Of all the species who became extinct due to interference from mankind, the dodo, passenger pigeon, great auk, Tasmanian tiger and Steller's sea cow are some of the more well known examples; with the bald eagle, grizzly bear, American bison, Eastern timber wolf and sea turtle having