Gharial : Survey
Despite significant existential threats, a comprehensive survey across the Ganga River basin recently revealed a population of 3,037 gharials (Gavialis gangeticus), the critically endangered fish-eating crocodile, inhabiting 13 of the surveyed rivers
- Gharial is a freshwater crocodile belonging to the Crocodylia Order and Crocodylidae Family.
- Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus
- The name ‘gharial’ comes from the Hindi word ghara, meaning pot or vessel, referring to the bulbous snout tip of adult males, which resembles an inverted pot.
- Its range spanned the rivers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
- Their major population occurs in three tributaries of the Ganga River: the Chambal and Girwa Rivers in India and the Rapti-Naryani River in Nepal.
- The Gharial reserves of India are located in three States: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
- It is one of the largest crocodilian
- They have thick skin covered with smooth epidermal scales that do not overlap.
- It is also the most aquatic of all crocodilians, for it never moves far from the water. Individuals typically only leave the water to bask and nest on sandbanks.
- They mate during November–January and lay eggs March–May.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically endangered.
