Bolivian River Dolphin Recognized as New Species

The Bolivian Amazon (picture by: Thomas van den Berk)

The Bolivian River Dolphin has finally been graced with the acknowledgement that it is, in fact, a separate species from its close relative, the Amazon River Dolphin. Lighter in color, smaller, and having more teeth, are only a few of the things that separate this newly named species apart from the others. It is able to move its head side to side; something other dolphins can not do,  to manuever through flooded forests during heavy rains and flooding.

Unfortunately the Bolivian River Dolphin, like all dolphins, is facing a questionable future do to pollution, fishing, industrialization, damming, and deforestation. 1,500 dolphins are caught and killed each year by fishermen to be used as bait. Hopefully, unlike the newly extinct Yangtze River dolphin in China, the Bolivian River Dolphin will be able to saved by awareness and conservation efforts.

for a complete article on the Bolivian River Dolphins visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/29/eadolph129.xml