The Gharial

The gharial, also known as the gavial or the fish eating crocodile, is a unique reptile from India. It looks like a crocodile, but it has extremely long, narrow jaws and dozens of sharply pointed teeth. It lives in large, deep rivers in northern India. The gharial primarily eats fish, but will also eat small crustaceans and softshell turtles. Young gharials feed on insects, tadpoles, small fish and frogs. Gharials find their prey mainly by touch, moving its head from side to side under water instead of snapping at its prey like other crocodiles do. They are also known to swallow stones to help with digestion. 

Gharials are among the longest of all living crocodilians. Adults can weigh between 350 and 550 pounds! Males can measure up to 16 feet long, and females can measure up to 12 feet long. The gharial is olive green. Its back turns almost black at 20 years of age, but its belly is yellowish-white. Adults are darker than young, which have dark brown cross bands and speckles. The gharial spends most of its time in water, but females leaves the water to lay more than 40 eggs in a nest. Like other crocodiles and alligators, gharials are cold blooded, so they also leave the water to bask in the sunlight and warm up.

Gharials are critically endangered, but are protected by law in India and Nepal. 

Cool Fact: Gharials are one of the largest crocodilians in the world. But, for such giant beasts, gharials are typically shy and will hide from human beings. 

Science Question: Can you tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators? Leave your answers in the comments below. We are excited to see them!