Gharial

Fish-eating crocodile — © Zveriki.com, AI-generated image based on the original work of Bo Link (https://www.flickr.com/people/49559179@N00) from Knoxville, TN, USA, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Mass
105213–236002 g
Length
3500–6500 mm
Lifespan
10958–21915 days 30–60 years
17134
0
1
fish-eating-crocodile
en
fish-eating crocodile
Gavialis gangeticus
trophic:carnivore
#fdfef9
Mass (young)
50–5000 g
Mass (adult crocodilian, female)
80000–150000 g
Mass (adult crocodilian, male)
150000–250000 g
Mass (egg)
140–180 g
Length (adult crocodilian, female)
3500–4500 mm
Length (young)
300–1500 mm
Length (egg)
150–200 mm
Length (adult crocodilian, male)
4500–6500 mm
Gestation
275 days 9 months 1 week
Litter size
20–60
Maturity
2920–7300 days 8–20 years
Offspring
20–60
Repro interval
365–730 days 1–2 years
Egg count (egg)
1
Teeth count (young)
100–110
Teeth count (adult crocodilian)
106–110
Tail size (adult crocodilian)
2000–3500 mm
Snout size (adult crocodilian)
700–1200 mm
Snout size (young)
100–350 mm
Ghara size (adult crocodilian, male)
100–200 mm
Comparable in mass
Sofa
Biome
Tropical moist forest
Biome
Tropical dry broadleaf forest
Biome
Flooded grasslands
Biome
Tropical savanna
Realm
Freshwater
Realm
Indomalayan realm
Realm
world of Afrotropics
Realm
world of Australasia
Realm
Marine world
Habitat (from birth to death)
freshwater coastal and creek
Landscape
freshwater cave
Landscape
lakes and ponds
Landscape
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Habitat (from birth to death)
rivers and streams
Habitat (egg)
desert and semi-desert
Climate
Warm summer and lots of rain
Climate
Heavy rains in summer
Landscape
freshwater
Climate
Warm summer
Climate
Steppe
Climate
Hot and almost no precipitation
Climate
Very hot summer
Climate
Low precipitation in winter
Climate
Hot steppe
Climate
Very dry
Shelter
nest
Trophic type
carnivore
Reproduction (egg)
Egg color
10957.5
21915.0
3500.0
6500.0
105213.01938820607
236001.59070224105
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Worker
Tail size
Were {name} like {animal}, then:
birth time
Hot and almost no precipitation
Hot winter with almost no precipitation
Heavy rains in summer
live adult frogs and toads
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
shallow coastal zones of rivers and lakes
g
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
days
Warm summer
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
crustaceans
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
small planktonic crustaceans — copepods, krill
very heavy rains in summer, almost no precipitation in winter
adult crocodilian
Maturity
invertebrates
Ghara size
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Snout color
Sofa
Repro interval
results
summer warm, winter not very cold
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
live fish
rains are very rare, almost a desert
little precipitation in winter, more in summer
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
all living animals without backbone
Filters
summer very hot, dry, lots of grass
always hot and humid, huge trees and vines
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Breeding structure built or used for laying eggs and raising offspring.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
world of Australasia
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
More:
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Lifespan average
Regeneration
live amphibians, frogs, salamanders
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
amphibians
end of lifespan
hot, there is a dry season, trees shed their leaves
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
Egg count
Pets
all rivers and lakes
Indomalayan realm
Indomalayan realm
freshwater cave
Tropical dry broadleaf forest
Hot steppe
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
desert and semi-desert
turns
Rascals
Flooded grasslands
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Litter size
Tropical savanna
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Share
Egg color
Where are they found?
all rivers and lakes
Low precipitation in winter
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Tropical moist forest
Elders
Bro
lakes and ponds
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
carnivore
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
age
birth date
arid terrestrial biotopes with sparse vegetation
freshwater coastal and creek
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
Potential Habitat
lots of grass, few trees, rains are rare
Very hot summer
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
winter dry and very warm
Gestation
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
Ghara color
summer very hot, above +25…+30 °C
{name} birthday
Link copied
No results found
On the map
all life stages
Female ♀
150 to 300 kilograms, 1.6 – 4 meters
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0 Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
birth year
Maturity
sq mm
yr
Snout size
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Very dry
Neither
from birth to adulthood
nest
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
Marine world
from birth to death
young
water often floods the land, lots of grass
world of Afrotropics
Freshwater
Duration
This is me
Steppe
freshwater
Gamers
Teeth count
How are they built?
frogs and toads
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
Scales color
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
Who among us will transform as if by magic and become like {animal}?
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
very hot and almost no precipitation
Hermaphrodite ⚥
egg
underground freshwater bodies — karst caves with water
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Observations
◉{N} more on tap
young
pupa
imago
juvenile
young crocodile
fish-eating-crocodile
gangskij-gavial
hind-qaviali
ghryal
gangskij-gavial
gangesi-gavial
indogabiaru
gaviali
gangskij-gavial
gabial
gangskij-gavial
gavijal
fish-eating-crocodile
gavial
heng-he-e
  • The jaws of the Indian gavial cannot kill and swallow prey larger than a certain size. As gavials grow, so does the size of their prey.
  • The Indian gavial is a unique animal among modern crocodiles. It is the last representative of an ancient genus and the second species in the gharial family.
  • The mother Indian gavial cannot carry her young into water, as her jaws are not adapted for this. Unlike other crocodiles, she cannot do this.
  • The Indian gavial spends more time in water than any other crocodile. It comes onto land only to warm up or lay eggs.
  • The Indian gavial can kill small mammals. The largest individuals reach a size that allows them to do this.
  • Male Indian gavials can reach lengths of 5–5.5 meters, although they usually do not exceed 4–4.5 meters. Females typically reach 3–3.5 meters, rarely larger.
  • The Indian gavial has tightly fitting plates on its belly that protect it from injuries when rubbing against sharp rocks in water. Some individuals have epibiotic crustaceans from the suborder sea urchins due to prolonged time in water.
  • Indian gavial eggs weigh up to 160 grams, heavier than those of other crocodiles; a clutch contains 35–60 eggs. The female digs a hole in the sand approximately 3–5 meters from water.
  • The Indian gavial has the most teeth of all crocodiles — up to a hundred. Its teeth are much smaller than those of other crocodiles.
  • The body of the Indian gavial is five times longer than its base. In juveniles, this difference is smaller.
  • Of all the offspring of the Indian gavial, only 1–2 reach sexual maturity, despite the mother’s care for several weeks. The rest die, becoming prey.
  • Male Indian gavials produce bubbles underwater using a growth during courtship. Their mating season lasts from November to January.
  • The Indian gavial is a unique animal among modern crocodiles. It is the last representative of an ancient genus and the second species in the gharial family.

Age

  • Of all the offspring of the Indian gavial, only 1–2 reach sexual maturity, despite the mother’s care for several weeks. The rest die, becoming prey.

Phenotype

  • The jaws of the Indian gavial cannot kill and swallow prey larger than a certain size. As gavials grow, so does the size of their prey.
  • The mother Indian gavial cannot carry her young into water, as her jaws are not adapted for this. Unlike other crocodiles, she cannot do this.
  • The Indian gavial has the most teeth of all crocodiles — up to a hundred. Its teeth are much smaller than those of other crocodiles.
  • Male Indian gavials produce bubbles underwater using a growth during courtship. Their mating season lasts from November to January.

Physiology

  • The Indian gavial has tightly fitting plates on its belly that protect it from injuries when rubbing against sharp rocks in water. Some individuals have epibiotic crustaceans from the suborder sea urchins due to prolonged time in water.
  • The body of the Indian gavial is five times longer than its base. In juveniles, this difference is smaller.

Size

  • Male Indian gavials can reach lengths of 5–5.5 meters, although they usually do not exceed 4–4.5 meters. Females typically reach 3–3.5 meters, rarely larger.
  • The body of the Indian gavial is five times longer than its base. In juveniles, this difference is smaller.

Feeding

  • The jaws of the Indian gavial cannot kill and swallow prey larger than a certain size. As gavials grow, so does the size of their prey.
  • The Indian gavial can kill small mammals. The largest individuals reach a size that allows them to do this.
  • The Indian gavial has the most teeth of all crocodiles — up to a hundred. Its teeth are much smaller than those of other crocodiles.

Reproduction

  • Indian gavial eggs weigh up to 160 grams, heavier than those of other crocodiles; a clutch contains 35–60 eggs. The female digs a hole in the sand approximately 3–5 meters from water.
  • Of all the offspring of the Indian gavial, only 1–2 reach sexual maturity, despite the mother’s care for several weeks. The rest die, becoming prey.
  • Male Indian gavials produce bubbles underwater using a growth during courtship. Their mating season lasts from November to January.
  • The jaws of the Indian gavial cannot kill and swallow prey larger than a certain size. As gavials grow, so does the size of their prey.
  • The Indian gavial spends more time in water than any other crocodile. It comes onto land only to warm up or lay eggs.
  • The Indian gavial can kill small mammals. The largest individuals reach a size that allows them to do this.
  • The Indian gavial has tightly fitting plates on its belly that protect it from injuries when rubbing against sharp rocks in water. Some individuals have epibiotic crustaceans from the suborder sea urchins due to prolonged time in water.
  • The Indian gavial has the most teeth of all crocodiles — up to a hundred. Its teeth are much smaller than those of other crocodiles.
  • Of all the offspring of the Indian gavial, only 1–2 reach sexual maturity, despite the mother’s care for several weeks. The rest die, becoming prey.
  • Male Indian gavials produce bubbles underwater using a growth during courtship. Their mating season lasts from November to January.