{{Otheruses}}{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}{{Otheruses}}{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Gharial
| status = CR
| status_system = iucn3.1
| image = Gavialis gangeticus.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum =
AnimalAnimals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously...
ia
| phylum =
ChordataChordates are animals which are either vertebrates or one of several closely related invertebrates. They are united by having, for at least some period of their life cycle, a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail...
| classis = Reptilia
| ordo =
CrocodiliaCrocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
| familia =
GavialidaeGavialidae is a family of reptiles within the order Crocodilia. Gavialidae consists of only two surviving species, the gharial and the false gharial , which are each the sole living representatives of their genera...
| genus =
Gavialis
| species =
G. gangeticus
| binomial =
Gavialis gangeticus
| binomial_authority = (
GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1789)
| range_map = Gavialis gangeticus Distribution.png
}}
The
gharial (
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
: घऱियाल, Marathi : सुसर Susar) (
Gavialis gangeticus), sometimes called the
Indian gavial or
gavial, is one of two surviving members of the
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
GavialidaeGavialidae is a family of reptiles within the order Crocodilia. Gavialidae consists of only two surviving species, the gharial and the false gharial , which are each the sole living representatives of their genera...
, a long-established group of
crocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
-like
reptileReptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, generally "cold-blooded" amniotes that generally have skin covered in scales or scutes. They are tetrapods and lay amniote eggs, whose embryos are surrounded by the amnion membrane...
s with long, narrow jaws. It is a
critically endangeredOrganisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or completely extinct in the immediate future.-IUCN Category:...
species. The gharial is one of the longest of all living
crocodiliaCrocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
ns.
Ancestry
The fossil history of the Gavialoidea is quite well known, with the earliest examples diverging from the other crocodilians in the late
CretaceousThe Cretaceous , Latin language for "chalky", usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago . In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows on the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. The most distinctive feature of the group is the very long, narrow snout, which is an adaptation to a diet of small fish. Although gharials have sacrificed the great mechanical strength of the robust skull and jaw that most crocodiles and alligators have, and in consequence cannot prey on large creatures, the reduced weight and water resistance of their lighter skull and very narrow jaw gives gharials the ability to catch rapidly moving fish, using a side-to-side snapping motion.
The earliest gharial may have been related to the modern types: some died out at the same time as the
dinosaur{{Otheruses}}{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}{{Otheruses}}{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}{{Taxobox|name = Dinosaurs|fossil_range = {{Fossil range|230|65|earliest=230|latest=0|PS=
Descendant taxon Aves survives to present.}}|image = field_dinos_2.jpg...
s (at the end of the Cretaceous), others survived until the early
EoceneThe Eocene epoch, lasting from 55.8 ± 0.2 to 33.9 ± 0.1 Ma , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in the Cenozoic era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Paleocene epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene epoch. The start of the...
. The modern forms appeared at much the same time, evolving in the estuaries and coastal waters of Africa, but crossing the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
to reach
South AmericaSouth America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere...
as well. At their peak, the Gavialoidea were numerous and diverse, they occupied much of Asia and America up until the
PlioceneThe Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present....
. One species,
Rhamphosuchus crassidensRhamphosuchus is an extinct relative of the modern gharial and false gharial. It inhabited what is now the Indian sub-continent in the Miocene and Pliocene. It is only known from incomplete sets of fossils, mostly teeth and skulls...
of India, is believed to have grown to an enormous 15 metres (~50 feet) or more.
Distribution
Northern Indian subcontinent: Bhutan (almost extinct),
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
(close to extinction), India (present in small numbers and increasing), Myanmar (possibly extinct), Nepal (present and increasing), Pakistan (possibly extinct). Usually found in the river systems of
IndusThe Indus River is the longest river in...
(Pakistan) and the Brahmaputra (Bangladesh, Bhutan & North eastern India), the Ganges (Bangladesh, India & Nepal), and the
MahanadiThe Mahanadi in EastCentral India. It drains an area of around 132,100 km
2 and has a total course of 900 km. . The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
(in the
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests.From 40 to 75%...
biome)(India), with small numbers in Kaladan and the
Ayeyarwady RiverThe Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south of Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying via the...
in Myanmar. It is sympatric, in respective areas, with the
Mugger CrocodileThe mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Iranian, marsh, mugger or Persian crocodile , is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...
(
Crocodylus palustris) and the
Saltwater CrocodileSaltwater or estuarine crocodile is the largest of all living reptiles. It is found in suitable habitats throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and the surrounding waters...
(
Crocodylus porosus).
There have been some small-scale projects to breed and release Gharials, for example in Nepal's Chitwan National Park
http://www.wwfint.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/asia_pacific/where/nepal/our_solutions/conservation_nepal/tal/area/species/gharial/index.cfm.
Habitat
Riverine—most adapted to the calmer areas in the deep fast moving rivers. The physical attributes of the gharial do not make it very suited for moving about on land. In fact the only reasons the gharial leaves the water is either to bask in the sun or to nest on the sandbanks of the river.
Appearance
Characteristic elongated, narrow snout, similar only to the closely related
False gharialThe Tomistoma, also known as the Malayan gharial or false gharial, is a fresh-water reptile, resembling a crocodile with a very thin and elongated snout resembling, but much thicker than, that of the gharial, hence its common nicknames.-Morphology:From a morphological standpoint, it has long been...
, (
Tomistoma schlegelii). The snout shape varies with the age of the saurian. The snout becomes progressively thinner the older the gharial gets. The bulbous growth on the tip of the male's snout is called a 'ghara' (after the Indian word meaning 'pot'), present in mature individuals. The bulbous growth is used for various activities, it is used to generate a resonant hum during vocalization, it acts as a visual lure for attracting females and it is also used to make bubbles which have been associated with the mating rituals of the species.
The elongated jaws are lined with many interlocking, razor-sharp teeth - an adaptation to the diet (predominantly fish in adults). This species is one of the largest of all crocodilian species, being the only crocodilian besides the
saltwater crocodileSaltwater or estuarine crocodile is the largest of all living reptiles. It is found in suitable habitats throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and the surrounding waters...
(
Crocodylus porosus) and
nile crocodileThe Nile Crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia.-Distribution and habitat:...
(
Crocodylus niloticus) with multiple records of attaining a length of 6 m (20 feet) and a weight of 1000 kg (2200 lbs), although a majority of gharials do not grow past 5 m (16.5 feet) and about 680 kg (1500 lb). The three largest examples reported were a 6.5 m (21.5 ft) gharial was killed in the Gogra River of
FaizabadFaizabad is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. Faizabad was the first capital of the Nawabs of Awadh...
in August 1920; a 6.3 m (21 ft) individual shot in the Cheko River of Jalpaiguri in 1934; and a giant taped at 7 m (23 ft) which was shot in the
KosiThe Kosi River, called Koshi in Nepal , is a transboundary river between Nepal and India, and is one of the largest tributaries of the Ganges. The river, along with its tributaries, drains a total area of up to its confluence with the Ganges in India...
River of northern
BiharBihar is a state in eastern India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi , and 3rd largest by population. Close to 85 percent of the population lives in villages...
in January 1924. The average size of mature gharials is 3.6-4.5 m (12.2-15.5 ft) about the same as for male
Saltwater CrocodileSaltwater or estuarine crocodile is the largest of all living reptiles. It is found in suitable habitats throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and the surrounding waters...
s and
Nile CrocodileThe Nile Crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia.-Distribution and habitat:...
s. The leg musculature of the gharial does not enable it to raise its body off the ground (on land) to achieve the high-walk gait—being able only to push its body forward across the ground ('belly-sliding'), although it can do this with some speed when required. However, when in water, the gharial is the most nimble and quick of all the crocodiles in the world. The tail seems overdeveloped and is laterally flattened, more so than other crocodiles, this enables it to achieve the excellent water locomotive abilities.
The gharial has 27 to 29 upper and 25 or 26 lower teeth on each side. These teeth are not received into interdental pits; the first, second, and third mandibular teeth fit into notches in the upper jaw. The front teeth are the largest. The gharial's snout is narrow and long, with a dilation at the end and its nasal bones are comparatively short and are widely separated from the pre-maxillaries. The nasal opening of a gharial is smaller than the supra-temporal fossae. The gharial's lower anterior margin of orbit (jugal) is raised and its mandibular
symphysisA symphysis is a fibrocartilaginous fusion between two bones. It is a type of cartilaginous joint, specifically a secondary cartilaginous joint.Unlike synchondroses, symphyses are permanent.-Examples:The more prominent symphyses are:* the pubic symphysis...
is extremely long, extending to the 23rd or 24th tooth. A dorsal shield is formed from four longitudinal series of juxtaposed, keeled and bony
scuteA scute or scutum is a bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, or the feet of some birds.-Properties:Scutes are similar to scales and serve the same function...
s.
The length of the snout is 3.5 (in adults) to 5.5 times (in young) the breadth of the snout's base. Nuchal and dorsal scutes form a single continuous shield composed of 21 or 22 transverse series. Gharials have an outer row of soft, smooth or feebly-keeled scutes in addition to the bony dorsal scutes. They also have two small post-occipital scutes.
The outer toes of a gharial are two-thirds webbed, while the middle toe is only one-third webbed. Gharials have a strong crest on the outer edge of the forearm, leg and foot. Typically, adult gharials consist of a dark olive color tone while young ones are pale olive, with dark brown spots or cross-bands.
Diet
Young gharials eat insects, larvae, and small frogs. Mature adults feed almost solely on fish, although some individuals have been known to scavenge dead animals. Their snout morphology is ideally suited for
piscivoryA piscivore is a carnivorous animal which lives on eating fish.Some animals, like the sea lion, or alligator, are not completely piscivores, while others, like the Aquatic Genet, are strictly dependent on fish for food...
; their long, narrow snouts offer very little resistance to water in swiping motions to snap up fish in the water. Their numerous needle-like teeth are ideal for holding on to struggling, slippery fish. Gharials will often use their body to corral fish against the bank where they can be more easily snapped up.
Danger to humans
The gharial is not a man-eater and is sensitive towards humans. Despite its immense size, its thin and fragile jaws make it physically incapable and impossible to consume a large animal, especially a human being. The myth that gharials eat humans may come partly from their similar appearance to
CrocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s and also since jewelry has been found in their stomachs. However, the gharial may have swallowed this jewelry while scavenging corpses or as
gastrolithA gastrolith, also called a stomach stone or gizzard stones, is a rock held inside a gastrointestinal tract. Gastroliths are retained in the muscular gizzard and used to grind food in animals lacking suitable grinding teeth. The grain size depends upon the size of the animal and the gastrolith's...
s used to aid digestion or buoyancy management.
Breeding
The mating season is during November through December and well into January. The nesting and laying of eggs takes place in the dry season of March, April, and May. This is because during the dry season the rivers shrink a bit and the sandy river banks are available for nesting. Between 30 and 50 eggs are deposited into the hole that the female digs up before it is covered over carefully. After about 90 days, the juveniles emerge, although there is no record of the female assisting the juveniles into the water after they hatch (probably because their jaws are not suited for carrying the young due to the needle like teeth). However, the mother does protect the young in the water for a few days until they learn to fend for themselves.
Conservation
.jpg)
In the 1970s the gharial came to the brink of extinction and even now remains on the critically endangered list. The conservation efforts of the environmentalists in cooperation with several governments has led to some reduction in the threat of extinction. Some hope lies with the conservation and management programs in place as of 2004. Full protection was granted in the 1970s in the hope of reducing poaching losses, although these measures were slow to be implemented at first. Now there are 9 protected areas for this species in India which are linked to both captive breeding and 'ranching' operations where eggs collected from the wild are raised in captivity (to reduce mortality due to natural predators) and then released back into the wild (the first being released in 1981). More than 3000 animals have been released through these programs, and the wild population in India is estimated at around 1500 animals—with perhaps between one and two hundred animals in the remainder of its range. The release of captive gharials has not met with the success that was expected. Recently more than 100 gharials died in India in the Chambal River from an unknown cause with
goutGout is a disease hallmarked by elevated levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. In this condition, crystals of monosodium urate or uric acid are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues...
-like symptoms. This recent death toll is expected to have decreased the number of breeding pairs to less than 400. Tests of the carcasses conducted at the IVRI suggest have suggested the possibility of poisoning by metal pollutants.
Recently this species has moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the 2007 Red List of endangered species of animals and plants issued by the World Conservation Union, and qualifies for protection under the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) Appendix II.
Taxonomy
The gharial and its extinct relatives are grouped together by taxonomists in several different ways:
- If the three surviving groups of crocodilians are regarded as separate families, then the gharial becomes one of two members of the Gavialidae, which is related to the families Crocodylidae (crocodiles) and Alligatoridae
Alligators and caimans are archosaurs, species of crocodilians and form the family Alligatoridae .- True alligators :...
(alligators and caymans).
- Alternatively, the three groups are all classed together as the family Crocodylidae, but belong to the subfamilies Gavialinae, Crocodylinae, and Alligatorinae
Alligatorinae are one of two subfamilies of the family Alligatoridae.-Taxonomy:* Subfamily Alligatorinae** Genus Albertochampsa ** Genus Chrysochampsa ** Genus Hassiacosuchus...
.
- Finally, palaentologists tend to speak of the broad lineage of gharial-like creatures over time using the term Gavialoidea.
Janke
et al. (2005), using molecular genetic evidence, found the gharial and the
false gharialThe Tomistoma, also known as the Malayan gharial or false gharial, is a fresh-water reptile, resembling a crocodile with a very thin and elongated snout resembling, but much thicker than, that of the gharial, hence its common nicknames.-Morphology:From a morphological standpoint, it has long been...
(
Tomistoma) to be close relatives, and placed them together in the same family.
Common names include: Indian gharial, Indian gavial, Fish-eating crocodile, Gavial del Ganges, Gavial du Gange, Long-nosed crocodile, Bahsoolia, Chimpta, Lamthora, Mecho Kumhir, Naka, Nakar, Shormon, Thantia, Thondre, Garial.
Classification
- Order Crocodilia
Crocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
- Superfamily Gavialoidea
-
-
- Genus †Eothoracosaurus
Eothoracosaurus is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian. It was one of the earliest and most basal gavialoids known. Fossils are present from the Ripley Formation in Mississippi, and date back to the early Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous...
- Genus †Thoracosaurus
Thoracosaurus is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian which existed during the Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene. It contains the species Thoracosaurus glyptodon and Thoracosaurus neocesariensis. Its remains have been found in New Jersey, USA. A number of species have been referred to this...
- Genus †Eosuchus
Eosuchus is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian. It is among the most basal of all gavialoids, lying crownward of all other known members of the superfamily, including earlier members such as Thoracosaurus and Eothoracosaurus. Fossils have been found from France as well as eastern North...
- Genus †Argochampsa
Argochampsa is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian, related to modern gharials. It lived in the Paleocene of Morocco. Described by Hua and Jouve in 2004, the type species is A. krebsi, with the species named for the late professor B. Krebs...
- Family Gavialidae
Gavialidae is a family of reptiles within the order Crocodilia. Gavialidae consists of only two surviving species, the gharial and the false gharial , which are each the sole living representatives of their genera...
- Subfamily Gavialinae
Genus Gavialis
Gavialis gangeticus - modern gharial
- †Gavialis curvirostris
- †Gavialis breviceps
- †Gavialis bengawanicus
- †Gavialis lewisi
- Subfamily Tomistominae
- Genus Tomistoma
- Tomistoma schlegelii, false gharial
The Tomistoma, also known as the Malayan gharial or false gharial, is a fresh-water reptile, resembling a crocodile with a very thin and elongated snout resembling, but much thicker than, that of the gharial, hence its common nicknames.-Morphology:From a morphological standpoint, it has long been...
or Malayan gharial
- †Tomistoma lusitanica
- †Tomistoma cairense
- Genus †Eogavialis
Eogavialis is an extinct genus of tomistomine gavialid. It superficially resembles Tomistoma schlegelii, the extant false gharial, and consequently material from the genus was originally referred to Tomistoma...
Eogavialis africanus
- †Eogavialis andrewsi
- Genus †Kentisuchus
Kentisuchus is an extinct genus of tomistomine gaviaid. It is considered one of the most basal members of the subfamily, with only Dollosuchus known to have been older. Fossils have been found from England that date back to the early Eocene...
- Genus †Gavialosuchus
Gavialosuchus is an extinct genus of gavialid from the late Oligocene and Miocene of eastern North America and early Miocene of Europe. Three species have been named: the type species G. eggenburgensis from the early Miocene of Austria; G. americanus, from the late Miocene to early Pliocene of...
- Genus †Paratomistoma
Paratomistoma is an extinct genus of tomistomine gavialid crocodilian. It is based on CGM 42188, a partial posterior skull and lower jaw discovered at Wadi Hitan, Egypt, in Middle Eocene-age rocks of the Gehannam Formation. The skull is unfused but considered morphologically mature...
- Genus †Thecachampsa
- Genus †Rhamphosuchus
Rhamphosuchus is an extinct relative of the modern gharial and false gharial. It inhabited what is now the Indian sub-continent in the Miocene and Pliocene. It is only known from incomplete sets of fossils, mostly teeth and skulls...
- Genus †Toyotamaphimeia
Toyotamaphimeia is an extinct genus of gharial from the Pleistocene of Japan closely related to the false gharial, which lived 400.000 years ago. This relationship is reflected in the fact that it was originally described as a member of the same genus, Tomistoma....
- Subfamily †Gryposuchinae
- Genus †Aktiogavialis
Aktiogavialis is an extinct genus of crocodylian from the Oligocene Epoch some thirty million years ago. Only one species in the genus, Aktiogavialis puertoricensis, has been described so far....
- Genus †Gryposuchus
Gryposuchus is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian. It is the type genus of the family Gryposuchinae. Fossils have been found from Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and the Peruvian Amazon. The genus existed during the early and middle Miocene epoch. One recently described species, G...
- Genus †Ikanogavialis
Ikanogavialis is an extinct genus of gryposuchine gavialoid crocodilian. Fossils have been found from the Urumaco Formation of Venezuela. The strata from which remains are found are late Miocene in age, rather than Pliocene as was once thought....
- Genus †Siquisiquesuchus
- Genus †Piscogavialis
- Genus †Hesperogavialis
Hesperogavialis is an extinct genus of gryposuchine gavialid. Fossils have been found from Venezuela and Brazil that date back to the late Miocene and Pliocene...
Appearances in Popular Culture
- In the PlayStation 2 video game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
, one of the more noted animals that Naked Snake can consume for his survival is the Indian Gavial. It replenishes significant amounts of stamina, while causing Snake to express utmost satisfaction. A crocodile cap is also an obtainable item that can be used to scare away unsuspecting enemy soldiers. The Indian Gavials in the game are generally not too dangerous on land, inflicting only minor damage by striking the game's protagonist with their tails. However, if Naked Snake is attacked by one while in the water, it kills him instantly. Furthermore, nearby Gavials are provoked to attack Snake if he wears the croc cap in the water.
- The Ravnica: City of Guilds
This article is about the Magic: The Gathering set known as Ravnica: City of Guilds. For an article about the plane and the guilds mentioned below, see Ravnica ....
expansion of the Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering is a collectible card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic is the first example of the modern collectible card game genre and still thrives today, with an estimated six million players in over seventy...
trading card game features a "Crocodile" creature called Grayscaled Gharialhttp://www.hraj.cz/ravnica/karty/grayscaled_gharial.jpg, and the Shards of AlaraShards of Alara is an expansion set from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. It was released on October 3, 2008.-Set details:Shards of Alara is the first set of the Alara block. Bill Rose was its Design lead, and Devin Low was its development lead...
expansion includes the creature Algae Gharialhttp://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174986.
- In Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto, the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887. The word esperanto means "one who hopes" in the language itself...
, the verb gaviali ("to gharial") means to speak Esperanto in a situation where another language would be more appropriate.
External links
{{commons|Gavialis gangeticus|Gharial}}
{{Wikispecies|Gavialis gangeticus}}
- http://www.arkive.org/gharial/gavialis-gangeticus/ Arkive. Images and video
- http://reptilis.net/crocodylia/gavies/gavialidae.html a less formal article, great photos
- http://www.vic.com/nepal/images/gharial.html photo of a large specimen in the wild
- http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/!ggan1.htm teeth and feeding
- http://www.whozoo.org/students/lydia/gharials.htm excellent photos from Fort Worth Zoo
- http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/tales/crocs/gharial.html a charming folk tale
- http://www.scz.org/animals/g/gharial.html species summary from Sedgwick County Zoo
- http://www.itis.usda.gov ITIS
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagency group within the U.S. federal government, involving agencies from the Department of...
Taxonomic Serial No.: 202217
- http://www.rendy.eu/zivocichove-seznam/gavial-indicky Gavialis gangeticus - description with photographs from captivity in Czech republic - ZOO Prag (in Czech)
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7755393.stm - footage from BBC of 500 gharial babies
- http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/crocodile/up.htm Conservation Status of the Gharial in UP, India
{{Crocodilia|G.}}
{{Crocs}}