IRCF Journal- Gharial Reproduction and Mortality

Gharial Reproduction and Mortality. By: Suresh Chaudhari
IRCF Journal, 15:3, September 2008
In April of this year, 26 female Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) laid eggs on an island in the Girwa River in the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition, a few Mugger Crocodiles
(Crocodylus palustris) nested there. As in previous years, Mr. Ramesh Pandey, Divisional Forestry Officer at the sanctuary, facilitated nesting by providing a soft and secure sand bar. In March, grasses on the island were cleared and the sand softened by digging. Trial nesting by female Gharials was observed during the last week of March.

IRCF Journal- Gharial, Going Extinct Again

The Gharial: Going Extinct Again. By Romulus Whitaker and Members of the GMTF
IRCF Journal, 14:1, March 2007
The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a massive crocodilian, exceeded in size only by the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Historically, male Gharials of up to 6 m (nearly 20 ft) were commonly encountered, but such large individuals are unknown today. The species is characterized by its elongated, narrow snout, which varies in shape as an animal ages, becoming proportionally shorter and thicker over time. The bulbous growth on the tip of a male’s snout, called “ghara” after the Indian word meaning “pot,” is present in mature individuals, which utilize the structure to to modify and amplify “hisses” snorted through the underlying nostrils.

Focus on Conservation – Gharial

Focus on Conservation – The Gharial: Back on the Brink
IRCF Journal, 13:3, September 2006
Touted as the most successful conservation story in India for decades, the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) conservation program is in the doldrums today. Gharials are specialists in choice of habitat (only deep rivers) and prey (only fish), limiting the species’ ability to survive in disturbed and marginal areas. Only about 200 reproducing Gharials remain in the wild in India and Nepal. Formerly found in almost every river system in the northern Indian subcontinent, today these large crocodilians are found only in a few protected areas disconnected by hundreds of kilometers. Gharials have been extirpated in Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.