River dolphins
Ganges River Dolphin Photographer:Brian D. Smith
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Suborder:	Odontoceti
Superfamily:	Platanistoidea

River dolphins are five species of dolphin which live in fresh water rivers and estuaries. Three species live in fresh water rivers. The La Plata Dolphin lives in salt water estuaries and the ocean.

• South Asian river dolphins (two sub-species)
  • Ganges river dolphin, Platanista gangetica gangetica – Lives in Nepal, Republic of India and Bangladesh
  • Indus river dolphin, Platanista indicus minor – Lives in Pakistan; National mammal of Pakistan.
• South American river dolphins (three species)
  • Amazon river dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis – Largest of river dolphins, lives in Peru and Brazil.
  • Araguaia river dolphin, Inia araguaiaensis – Recently discovered in the river basin in Brazil after which it is named. Identified as a separate species by genetic sequence analysis.
  • La Plata dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei – Lives in Argentina.
• Chinese river dolphin (or Baiji), Lipotes vexillifer – Lives in the Yangtze River in China (one of the most endangered of all dolphins and whales). Recent counts have come up with 17 remaining individuals. Scientists now want to raise some dolphins in a lake.