Gharials

The reptiles of crocodilians family belong to 3 families i.e. the Crocodilidae, the Aligatoridae and the Gavialidae. The Crocodilidae and Aligatoridae are mainly distinguished by the arrangements of the teeth.

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Crocodiles are found through the tropical and subtropical countries of the world while alligators are restricted to North and South America with the exception of a single species which is found in China. Alligators do not occur in India.

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Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is the sole surviving member of the Gavialidae and occur only in rivers of the northern India and Burma.

The Gharial is one of the largest crocodiles ranked closely behind the salt-water crocodiles (Crocodiles porosis).

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This is the only crocodile in which sexual dimorphism is characterized in adults by the possession of a ‘ghara’ or a protrusion of bulbous growth on the tip of the snout of the male. Adult male and female gharials apart from their largest size and thin snouts differs from muggers in having a different arrangement of armor on their backs, weaker front limbs and stouter tails.

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• Age at maturity: 10 years (females), 13 years (males)

• Courtship: Early days of December

• Mating: January and February

• Nesting: March and April

• Nest type: Holes dug in sandy banks

• Egg Clutch size: 40-80 eggs

• Incubation time: 70 days (average)

• Females mature at around 10 years old and are usually about 3-meter long.

• Males mature at around 13 years old, which is when the ghara being to grow on the snout.

• Size of egg-140 gm to 180 gm, 80 mm x 54 mm

• No. of eggs in one nest -15 to 97, average 40 Nos.