In our article we will talk about a crocodile with a narrow muzzle. What is the name of this reptile? Gavial. This is a rather unusual crocodile among others. Today, the Ghanaian gavial is the last of the representatives of this ancient family. They settle in calm muddy waters of deep reservoirs with a fast current.
Appearance and dimensions
The color of the back of representatives of this type is brown-green. But their belly is yellow-green. There are sometimes completely white gavials. Such crocodiles have a long, powerful tail with outgrowths of a triangular shape. Their eyes are round and small. They look in different directions. The eyes are located above the level of the muzzle. These crocodiles move on the ground crawling, because they can’t lift their body.
This is one of the largest types of modern crocodiles. The body length of one male is 5 meters. Females are smaller - no more than 3.5 meters. The weight of representatives of this species can reach 200 kg.
Jaws
The shape of the jaw of the gavial is different from that of alligators. His jaws are narrow, their length exceeds almost five times the width. Less noticeable difference in the young.
A narrow crocodile is easier to hunt for fish. There are about 100 teeth in gavials. They are significantly smaller in size than other crocodiles. But they are sharper, thinner and longer. The teeth of the gavials are somewhat oblique. It is very difficult for a fish to break out of such a jaw.
Lifestyle
Gavials are aquatic crocodiles. Most of the time they spend in water. They choose to land in order to lay eggs and warm themselves. The main part of the diet consists of fish. Gaviales also eat invertebrate animals. Their jaws are ways to kill prey and swallow right away. Scavenger crocodiles with a long snout do not disdain. For humans, these animals are not dangerous.
Breeding
At the age of about 10 years, when their body length reaches three meters, the females become sexually mature. The male may have a harem. He protects each of the females from the rest. The mating season is from November to January. During courtship, the male, with the help of a growth, blows bubbles under water. The female lays eggs in the period from March to May. Eggs an average of 40-50 pieces. After 2-3 months, calves hatch from them.