Gavialis Gangeticus

Background information  Gharials are Blackish, grayish, greenish color  Females range from feet. Males range from feet.  Native to the Indian subcontinent.  Critically Endangered

Habitat/Niche  Calm, deep, fast flowing rivers

Fun Fact  The Gharial's one of the largest crocodilians, and has the narrowest snout of any crocodilian species.

Reproduction and Gestation  Gestation period: days  Females are sexually receptive at around 10 years old.

Diet  Diet changes throughout their lives.  Carnivores  Full grown adults eat fish, insects, and small animals.  Young Gharials mostly eat a vast array of invertebrates, as well as fish.

Predator/Prey Relationships  Due to its size, Gharials have no main predators, making it one. Humans can be, but it isn't very likely.

Fun Fact  Its common name comes from the male’s bulbous nasal appendage which resembles an Indian pot or “Gharal” and may serve to attract females.

Consumer/Producer? 1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd Level?  The Gharial is a 3 rd level consumer.  Along with us, they're at the top of the food chain.

Threats/Human Interactions.  Gharials suffer from habitat loss, degradation, and from being hunted, since thought that the snout has special effects.

Fun Fact  Its long narrow snout, enables it to whip its head sideways to catch prey.

Biotic/Abiotic Factors  Biotic factors- Bright-Eyed Frog, Spiny Turtle, Crimean Tator goby, Liem’s Tinker Frog, Pike, Muskrat, Short Mountain Crayfish and many other plants and animals.  Abiotic factors- sandy banks, still fast flowing fresh water, soil,sunlight.

Limiting Factors  Habitat loss  Competition for habitat

Fun Fact  Gharials have thick skin with epidermal scales that don’t overlap.

Numbers at Present  There are 200 or less total Gharial around the world.

Ability to Adapt/Adaptations  Some adaptations are their sharp teeth, elongated jaws, and narrow snout.  They aren't able to lift themselves off the ground, due to a weak muscular system.  By having weak legs, they have to “slide”, which makes them the fastest crocodile out there.  They adapt well, but have shrunk a few feet over the last few decades.

Butterfly Species  The Gharial’s a butterfly species because if it were extinct, the fish that it eats would over populate, and their other predators would over populate, eating the fish to extinction, and destruct the food chain.

Works cited  Works Cited  "Gharial." Animal Corner. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov  "Gharial." Encyclopedia of Life. N.p., 5 Nov Web. 7 Nov  "Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)." Arkive. Wildscreen, n.d. Web. 7 Nov Photos from Arkive and Google images. This presentation contains copyrighted material used under the educational fair use exemption to U.S. Copyright law.