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REPTILIA:
CROCODYLIA: GAVIALIDAE: Gavialis
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Gavialis gangeticus
(Gmelin, 1789)
Gavial / gharial
Photo
& text by Dr. Robert Sprackland.
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Range:
The Ganges River and some tributaries in India.
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Diagnosis:
A stout, dark-bodied crocodilian with a very thin
snout, conspicuous exposed teeth, and anterior nostrils.
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Description: This
is possibly the largest reptile on earth, and certainly the longest
crocodile. The record specimen was collected for zoologist Franz
Steindachner in the middle 19th century and is on display at the Natural
History Museum of Vienna. Males may exceed 7 meters (23 feet). Sexually
mature males have a large, goard-shaped structure at the snout tip.
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Natural History:
Gavials are fish-eaters, catching prey by slashing laterally into schools
of fish and impaling some with the long thin teeth.
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Reproduction:
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Taxonomy & Relationships:
The term "gharial" is the local name for this odd crocodilian,
while "gangeticus" means "of the Ganges." This
is the only species in the family.
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Variation:
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Additional Comments:
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Type Specimen:
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Literature:
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