Long-nosed Crocodile
Gavialis gangeticus
The gharial, also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are 2.
6
Countries
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharial
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Crocodylia
Family
Gavialidae
Genus
Gavialis
Long-nosed Crocodile belongs to the family Gavialidae, order unknown, within the Crocodylia class.
Species Profile
The gharial, also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are 2.6 to 4.5 m long, and males 3 to 6 m. Adult males have a distinct boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot known as a ghara, hence the name "gharial". The gharial is well adapted to catching fish because of its long, narrow snout and 110 sharp, interlocking teeth.
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) has experienced catastrophic population declines of over 95% since the 1940s, primarily due to extensive habitat loss and degradation of river systems. Dam construction, sand mining, fishing activities, and water extraction have severely fragmented and altered the free-flowing river habitats essential for this critically endangered crocodilian. Egg collection, accidental capture in fishing nets, and pollution further compound the species' precarious situation.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
The gharial once thrived in all the major river systems of the northern Indian subcontinent, from the Indus River in Pakistan, the Ganges in India, the Brahmaputra River in northeastern India and Bangladesh to the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. By the early 1980s, it was almost extinct in the Indus. It was considered extinct in the Koshi River since 1970. In the 1940s, it was numerous in the Barak...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) has experienced catastrophic population declines of over 95% since the 1940s, primarily due to extensive habitat loss and degradation of river systems. Dam construction, sand mining, fishing activities, and water extraction have severely fragmented and altered the free-flowing river habitats essential for this critically endangered crocodilian. Egg collection, accidental capture in fishing nets, and pollution further compound the species' precarious situation.
Dam construction and water diversion
Fishing net entanglement and drowning
Habitat loss and river modification
Sand mining and riverbank disturbance
Egg collection and nest disturbance
Bycatch in fishing nets
Dams & water management
Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources
Housing & urban areas
Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals
Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases
Logging & wood harvesting
Marine & freshwater aquaculture
Mining & quarrying (sand mining)
Other ecosystem modifications
Recreational activities
Storms & flooding
Conservation Actions
Found in 6 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Long-nosed Crocodile (Gavialis gangeticus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/long-nosed-crocodile