Gharials
Gharial is also known as Gavial or
the fish-eating crocodile
.
It derives its name from ghara, an Indian word for pot because of a
bulbous knob
(narial excrescence)
present at the end of their snout
.
The ghara also renders gharial the only visibly sexually dimorphic crocodilian.
Their snouts contain sensory cells that can detect vibrations of prey in the water.
Gharials live in
clear freshwater river systems
, congregating at river bends where the water is deeper.
They are
mainly found within the tributaries
of the
Ganges River system
waters of India as well as in
Nepal
.
Current
major breeding populations
are confined to the
Girwa River and Chambal River
Presence of Gharials is a
good indicator of clean river water
.