AnimalvsAnimal
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) male, Chambal River, UP, India🐊

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

SpeciesGavialidae
Reptiles

🐊Gharial

Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789)

The gharial, also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are 2.6 to 4.5 m long, and males 3 to 6 m. Adult males have a distinct boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot known as a ghara, hence the name "gharial". The gharial is well adapted to catching fish because of its long, narrow snout and 110 sharp, interlocking teeth.

Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Videos
25
Photos
6
Measurements
9
vs you
≈ 2.5× your weight
Also called
Gavial, Fish-eating Crocodile, Indian Gavial, Indian Gharial, Long-nosed Crocodile
Conservation status
CRCritically endangered

IUCN Red List assessment, 2019.

Population trendIncreasing
Key measurements
Body mass
153 kg
Body length
6 m
Shoulder height
not recorded
Top speed
not recorded
Bite force
not recorded
Maximum lifespan
59 years
All measurements ↓
Facts and figures

Everything we know about the Gharial

Typical adult figures. Where a value is an estimate rather than a measurement, it says so.

Body mass
153 kgrecord 806 kg · ReptTraits
AnAge
Details ↓

data quality: acceptable

Record: largest individual on record

Source: AnAge · AnAge build 15, 2023-07-03 (HAGR) · CC BY 3.0

Body length
6 mmaximum recorded
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Maximum lifespan
59 yearsrecord 100 years · ReptTraits
AnAge
Details ↓

data quality: acceptable

Record: largest individual on record

Source: AnAge · AnAge build 15, 2023-07-03 (HAGR) · CC BY 3.0

Gestation
70 days
AnAge
Details ↓

data quality: acceptable

Source: AnAge · AnAge build 15, 2023-07-03 (HAGR) · CC BY 3.0

Diet
Carnivorous
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Activity cycle
Diurnal
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Foraging mode
ACT
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Venomous
No
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Volume l
153 Laverage
Details ↓

Body mass at ~1.0 kg/L, the density of vertebrate tissue.

average = a mean across sexes or species in a group.

Not recorded for Gharial yet: shoulder height, top speed, bite force.

Where it sits

Family tree

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. ›phylumChordata
  3. ›classCrocodylia
  4. ›familyGavialidae
  5. ›genusGavialis
  6. ›speciesGavialis gangeticus
Full lineage
  1. orderSauria
  2. familyGavialidae
  3. subfamilyGavialinae
  4. genusGavialis
All 11 branches ↓
  1. kingdomMetazoa
  2. phylumChordata
  3. subphylumCraniata
  4. subphylumVertebrata
  5. superclassGnathostomata
  6. superclassSarcopterygii
  7. superclassTetrapoda
  8. orderSauria
  9. familyGavialidae
  10. subfamilyGavialinae
  11. genusGavialis
More

More about the Gharial

In other languages
Gavial del Ganges (es), Gavial du Gange (fr), gawial gangesowy (pl), Gaviale (it), индийски гавиал (bg), gavial (ca) … and 28 more languages
More photos
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) male, Chambal River, UP, IndiaCrocodileഉരഗവർഗ്ഗത്തിൽപ്പെടുന്ന ശീതരക്തമുള്ള ഒരു ജീവിയാണ് മുതല (Crocodile).
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Tree of life

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