Indus River dolphins, Platanista minor, are found only in the Indus River in Pakistan. Platanista minor used to range throughout the river system, but the dolphins are now only found in the waters above the Kotri Barrage and below the Chasma, Trimmu, Sidhnai, and Islam Barrages. These human-created barriers, in addition to changes in rainfall patterns, have greatly limited the dolphins’ distribution.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )
- Hamilton, H., S. Caballers, A. Collins, R. Brownell. 2001. Evolution of river dolphins. Proc. R. Soc. Lond., 268: 549-558.
- Mann, J., R. Connor, P. Tyack, H. Whitehead. 2000. Cetacean societies: field studies of whales and dolphins. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Moreno, P. 2004. Ganges and Indus dolphins (Platanistidae). Pp. 13-17 in M Hutchins, D Kleiman, V Geist, M McDade, eds. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Vol. Volume 15: Mammals IV, Second Edition Edition. Detroit: Thompson Gale.