Gharials
By: Jocelyn Miller
Introduction
On ircf.org it states "There are less than 200 mature breeding gharials in the wild," Yup. That's right. But one of the best ways to help them is to learn about them so read on and learn more about gharials.
What do they eat?
Juvenile Gharials eat insects frogs and small fish. Adult Gharials eat fish and even small mammals, but at the zoo they are fed different species of fish. At the zoo they will not feed them Tilapia because the small fish is too fast for them. To catch their prey they use fast snatching movements under the water and their teeth are good for holding struggling prey.
Where do they live and what is their habitat like?
Gharials live in places such as India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. They live in a river WILL NOT attack people. Really, the only time they leave the water is to bask and lay eggs.
Unique Features of a Gharials
A Gharial has a long narrow snout that has 54-58 teeth on the upper jaw and 50-52 on the lower jaw. The males have a bulbous growth on the end of their nose called a ghara. As you can see, a gharial has many unique features.
Conclusion
In this article you learned, what gharials eat, where they live, what their habitat is like and unique features of a gharial. To learn more, look at these sites.
http://www.arkive.org/gharial/gavialis-gangeticus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plucJ4RkK0I
http://www.theanimalfiles.com/reptiles/crocodiles_alligators/gharial.html
Glossary
Bask- To lie in a pleasant warmth
Bulbous- Bulging
Mammal- A vertebrae that breathes air and gives birth to live young