Gangian gavial (Gavialis gangeticus) - a representative of the oldest species of crocodiles. He appeared on Earth more than sixty million years ago. And only one of the twelve fossilized species found on the territory of many continents has survived to the present. Inhabitants of India consider the gavial to be sacred animals and worship it.
Ganges gavial: photos and description
Familiarity with it should begin with a description of some of its characteristic features. The length of its muzzle is more than 3 times its width. With age, it lengthens. And in adult males, a lump appears on the end of the muzzle, resembling an Indian pot called ghara, hence gharial - the Indian name for this species.
The Ganges gavial is armed with thin and sharp teeth. On the jaws of adults, they can be counted 110, the structure is slightly inclined to the side. This is necessary for a more tenacious capture of fish.
The cylindrical shape of the body can reach five meters in length. But now, especially large reptiles are very rare. Males are significantly larger than females in size and can weigh up to 200 kg.
The Ganges Gavial is a great swimmer. In water, it can reach speeds of up to 30 km / h (thanks to special membranes on the hind limbs). On land, he moves in a slightly different way. The animal crawls on the belly, which is not allowed to raise underdeveloped limbs.
The color of these reptiles is dominated by green. The upper body is darker than the belly and has transverse stripes. With age, the color changes to darker.
Food
What eats gangian gavial? The nutrition of these reptiles is diverse. But the main diet is fish, since they spend most of their lives in water. Having caught slippery fish with his sharp and tenacious teeth, the Gangan gavial will not release its prey.
Large crocodiles attack mammals, eat snakes and birds, as well as drowned animals, which, according to Indian traditions, are often buried not in the ground, but in the sacred waters of rivers. A variety of jewelry that is put on the deceased, as well as small stones, falling into the stomach of the Ganges gavial, contribute to better grinding and assimilation of food. Young individuals can feed on crayfish and frogs.
Ganges gavial: interesting facts
- Males make harems. They carefully guard their females and the territory on which the harem is located, from encroachments and interferences of strangers. It often doesn’t reach fights. Opponents hiss at each other and demonstrate aggression with a belligerent look.
- Gangan gavials are capable of breeding in captivity.
- In the wild, there may be individuals with an almost white body color, which does not affect their hunting abilities.
- The males use a peculiar outgrowth on the muzzle to attract females during mating. He also allows them to stay longer under water.
- After mating, the female Gangian gavial digs a hole for laying eggs on the sandy shore. There may be several such pits reaching 50 cm in depth, until she selects one that suits her.
Mating season, mating
At the end of winter - the beginning of spring, the mating season begins at the Ganges gavial. Mating occurs in water, with all females of the harem. A fertilized female lays on average up to 40 eggs (sometimes their number can be 70–90). She carefully guards them from ruin by jackals and monitor lizards. The male also takes an active part in the protection. But already with the onset of monsoon rains, the harem breaks up, and predators lead the usual solitary lifestyle.
Progeny
At a sufficiently high temperature, the eggs mature quickly. After 3-4 months, offspring appears, punching the eggshell with a tooth at the very tip of the nose. Mother helps babies to get out of the sand, but cannot bring them to the water because her mouth is simply not adapted for this. Small crocodiles are under the protection of adults up to 2 months, until they get stronger in the aquatic environment.
Hunting and rest
The Ganges gavial loves to bask in the sun, sitting comfortably on the sandy shore. But in order not to become a victim of other predators, it does not move away from water.
When hunting fish, the Gangan gavial can wait for its prey in a completely motionless position, and can slowly swim along the river, catching subtle oscillatory movements. In both cases, the hunt ends with a sharp movement of the head to the side - and the victim can no longer escape.
Where does it live and how much does it live?
The Ghanaian Gavial can be found in the Indus River in eastern Pakistan, as well as in the Ganges, Mahanadi, Irrawaddy and Brahmaputra rivers.
Can live 45-50 years. However, rarely does anyone manage to live up to this age. Representatives of this species have a very high mortality rate.
Assistants
Despite the impressive size and awesome mouth with razor teeth, these reptiles can be considered the most good-natured. They never attack people. The reason for this unusual behavior of a predator lies, most likely, in their clumsiness and shy disposition.
The Ganga gavials can be considered in some way as orderlies, since they clear the river waters of the rotting remains of corpses. In addition, the object of hunting gavials are catfish, which feed on valuable commercial fish - tilapia. Due to a sharp decrease in the number of carnivorous reptiles, its population also decreased.
