Gharial
Description
Scientific name: Gavialis gangeticus
Gharial, also known as gavial is a fish-eating crocodile native to the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent.
The gharial is one of the longest of all living crocodilians, measuring up to 6.25 m (20.5 ft). With 110 sharp, inter-digitated teeth in its long, thin snout; it is well adapted to catching fish, its main diet. The male gharial has a distinctive boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot.
Gharials once inhabited all the major river systems of the Indian Subcontinent, from the Irrawaddy River in the east to the Indus River in the west. Their distribution is now limited to only 2% of their former range. They inhabit foremost flowing rivers with high sand banks that they use for basking and building nests.
Collection
Natural History
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Mammal
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