Gavial
| Class: Reptilia:
Reptiles |
Diet: Fish |
| Order:
Crocodilia: Crocodiles, Alligators, Gavial |
| Size: 7
m (23 ft) |
| Family: Alligatorianae:
Alligators and Caimans |
Conservation Status:
Critically Endangered |
| Scientific Name:
Gavialis gangeticus |
Habitat: large rivers |
| Range:
Northern India |
 The
Indian gavial has an extremely long narrow snout, studded with about 100
small teeth -- ideal equipment for seizing fish and frogs underwater. Like
all crocodilians, the gavial has been hunted for its skin, and it is now
one of the rarest in Asia. Its hind limbs are paddle-like, and the gavial
seems rarely to leave the water except to nest. The female lays her eggs
at night in a pit dug in the riverbank.
  
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