Gharial
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One of the world’s largest crocodilians poses no threat to people, yet faces many from them. The gharial’s needle-like snout, studded with small, pointy teeth, reveals that these beefy reptiles (Gavialis gangeticus) don’t hunt large, strong prey like their famed cousins, the Nile and saltwater crocodiles. Instead, gharials seek fish, frequenting slow-flowing river courses primarily in India and Nepal, with a few likely hanging on in Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and possibly Myanmar. There, the up-to-21-foot-long reptiles wait for fish, snapping them up with a sideways thrash of the neck, then gulping them down above water.
Smithsonian Institution scientists helped initiate a breeding program for Nepal’s gharials after the reptiles declined due to habitat loss, hunting, and drowning in fishing nets. Breeding facilities today can produce more than enough gharials. The problem is that not enough undisturbed habitat remains in which to release them. Wild numbers are now up to 3,000 after some rebounds brought on by conservation programs in India and Nepal. You can spy on the Zoo’s gharials by checking out the underwater Gharial Cam.
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ZooGoer 32(2) 2003.
Copyright 2003 Friends of the National Zoo.
All rights reserved.
