Ganga Gavial: photos, interesting facts, food

Ganges 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 petrified species found on the territory of many continents has survived to the present day. The people of India consider the gharial sacred animal and worship it.

Ganga Gavial: photo and description

Acquaintance with it should begin with the description of its some characteristic features. The length of its muzzle is more than 3 times its width. With age, it lengthens. And in adult males at the end of the muzzle appears a cone resembling an Indian pot, called ghara, hence the gharial, the Indian name for this species.

The Ganges Gavial is armed with thin and sharp teeth. On the jaws of adult individuals, they can count 110, the structure slightly inclined sideways. This is necessary for a more tenacious capture of fish.

The cylindrical shape of the body can reach five meters in length. But now very large reptiles are very rare. Males significantly exceed females in size and can weigh up to 200 kg.

Ganga Gavial is an excellent swimmer. In the water can develop a speed of up to 30 km / h (thanks to special membranes on the hind limbs). On land, it moves a slightly different way. The animal crawls on the belly, which is not allowed to lift the underdeveloped limbs.

The color of these reptiles is dominated by green color. The upper body is darker than the belly and has transverse bands. With age, the color changes to a darker color.

Food

What does the Gang of Gavial eat? The food of these reptiles is varied. But the main diet is fish, since they spend most of their life in the water. Catching his sharp and tenacious teeth slippery fish, the Gangi Gavial will not release prey.

Large crocodiles attack mammals, eat snakes and birds, as well as drowned people, who, according to the traditions of India, are often buried not in the ground, but in the sacred waters of rivers. A variety of ornaments worn on the deceased, as well as small stones, getting into the stomach of the gang of Gangia, contribute to better grinding and assimilation of food. Young individuals can eat cancers and frogs.

Ganges Gavial: interesting facts

• Males arrange harems. Their females and the territory on which the harem is located, they carefully guard against encroachments and interference by strangers. Before the fight, the case most often does not reach. Opponents hiss at each other and demonstrate aggression by a warlike appearance.
• Ganga gavials are capable of breeding offspring in captivity.
• In the wild, there may be individuals with an almost white coloring of the body, which in no way affects their hunting abilities.
• A peculiar growth on the muzzle of males used to attract females during mating games. He also allows them to stay under water longer.
• After mating, a female gang of Ganglia digs a hole on the sandy shore for laying eggs. Such pits, reaching 50 cm deep, can be several, until she chooses to choose one suitable for her.

Marriage period, mating

At the end of winter - early spring, the gang binge begins a mating season. Mating takes place in the water, and with all the females of the harem. Fertilized female lays an average of 40 eggs (sometimes their number may be 70-90). She carefully protects them from ruin by jackals and lizards. The male also takes an active part in the protection. But already with the onset of monsoon rains the harem disintegrates, and predators lead a habitual single way of life.

Offspring

At a sufficiently high temperature, the eggs quickly ripen. After 3-4 months, the offspring appear, piercing the eggshell with the tooth at the very tip of the nose. The mother helps the kids to get out of the sand, but they can not get to the water because her mouth is simply not adapted to it. Small crocodiles are under adult protection for up to 2 months, until they are strong in the aquatic environment.

Hunting and rest

The Ganges Gavial very much likes to bask in the sun, settling into a comfortable place on the sandy shore. But in order not to become a victim of other predators, it does not move away from the water.

When hunting for fish, the Gangi gavial can wait for its prey in a completely motionless position, or it can swim slowly along the river, catching hardly noticeable vibrational movements. In both cases, the hunt ends with a sharp movement of the head to the side - and the victim can not escape.

Where does he live and how much he lives?

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, few people manage to live to that age. Representatives of this species have a very high mortality rate.

Assistants

Despite the impressive size and frightening mouth with teeth-razors, these reptiles can be considered the most good-natured. They never attack people. The reason for this unusual behavior of the predator lies, most likely, in their clumsiness and fearful disposition.

Ganga ghawals can in some way be considered medics, since they purify the river waters from 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 predatory reptiles, its population also declined.

The threat of the disappearance of large crocodiles

The hard, hard skin of gang of Gangia is very valued and used to make various ornaments, bags, purses, shoes. Eggs of these crocodiles go to the preparation of omelettes and are used in medicine. They hunt and build on the end of the muzzle of males, who are considered aphrodisiacs. The number of these rare reptiles is threatened with complete extinction. Therefore, they are listed in the International Red Book, and hunting for them is prohibited.

To save these reptiles will help a set of measures aimed primarily at cleaning up chemicals and sewage discharges of rivers, where still there are rare specimens of the Gangi gavial. In addition, they are kept in captivity, protected by eggs and young animals, which is also aimed at preserving this species.

Thanks to government security measures, the number of Gangi Gavial, the "most kind crocodile" on the planet, was increased tenfold.