Gharial
Gavialis gangeticus
Where is it found?
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Freshwater rivers in tropical regions. Typically found in the northern Indian continent.
Diet and foraging method
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Sweeping the water and sit and wait hunting, ambushing prey when they sense they are close enough to catch.
Juveniles
Adults
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Key adaptations
Gharials have extensively webbed feet which make them excellent swimmers, and a long, slender snout well adapted to catch fish and snap underwater with little resistance.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
Polygynous
Did you know that...?
Gharials are well adapted for life in the water, but consequently struggle moving on land. Their leg muscles are not strong enough to lift them off the ground so they have to slide along on their belly.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"GangesGharialLyd" by R A Lydekker - The Royal Natural History. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg#/media/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg"Indian Gharial Crocodile Digon3" by I, Jonathan Zander. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
"GangesGharialLyd" by R A Lydekker - The Royal Natural History. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg#/media/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg
"GangesGharialLyd" by R A Lydekker - The Royal Natural History. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg#/media/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg"Indian Gharial Crocodile Digon3" by I, Jonathan Zander. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
"GangesGharialLyd" by R A Lydekker - The Royal Natural History. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg#/media/File:GangesGharialLyd.jpg
