Gharial [Scientific Name: Gavialis Gangeticus, Hindi Name: घऱियाल] AKA Indian Gavial, Indian Crocodile, Indian Croc

It's an Indian version of crocodile, which is called Gharial. Its scientific name is Gavialis Gangeticus. In Hindi language, it's written as घऱियाल. This croc species has many other names like Indian Gavial, Indian Crocodile, Indian Croc.



There's a sad fact about this species — International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] has put this species in the list of Critically Endangered Species! Why not? India is developing; their natural habitat is vanishing. These amazing creatures are found in the holy river of Ganga, which is polluted by the excessive human population on the banks.



There are some interesting facts about the Gharial…
• Gharial got its name from a Hindi word Ghara/Ghada, which means pot. The croc has a pot like nose.
• The longest Gharial known in the history was 23 feet long. It was found in a river named Kosi in Bihar state. Their average length is 14 feet however.
• The heaviest Gharial recorded in the history was more than 1000 kilograms in weight. Well, the average Gharial weight is around 650 kgs. of fully grown males.
• Gharials got their long snout by catching small fish for the past uncountable years. Their long snout is a part of the evolution process.



I photographed this amazing creature in a zoo in Pune. 2-3 gharials are in captivity. The sign board below has some information about this species.



And the following one is my favorite shot of Gharial. Which one is your favorite?