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Photo : Suresh Chaudhari |
Habitat
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Gharials are native to deep, fast-flowing rivers, but prefer calmer areas of these rivers such as river bends. |
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Gharials are adapted for life in perennial rivers, and are perhaps the most aquatic of all crocodilians.. |
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Though they spend most of their time in water, sandy banks are essential for building nests and for basking. |
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Gharials prefer steep sandy banks to build their nests in. |
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Gharial habitat is also important habitat for many other riverine species, some of which are also endangered |
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The Ganges River Dolphin |
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A dozen species of turtles |
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Smooth-coated otters |
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Numerous species of water birds |
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Fish such as the mahseer and giant catfish. |
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Mugger crocodiles |
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Reclaiming and Recreating Sandy Areas for Gharials |
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As sandy banks are vital for gharial nesting and basking the destruction of these banks and bars by sand-mining, erosion, and changing river levels poses a serious threat to the species. However gharials have used artificially created sand-banks in captivity for successful nesting and basking for many years. So some habitat managers have tried creating sand bars and banks in the wild in areas where natural banks and bars have been eroded or destroyed. These efforts have been successful,with gharials using these areas to bask and nest, indicating new possibilities for reclaiming degraded habitat areas. |
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The Chambal River
Photo : Laurel Converse |
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