Discover the alarming decline of India's gharial , a critically endangered species once thriving in major river basins. Learn how human activities have led to a 96-98% population drop. Once found in freshwater river systems from Pakistan to Myanmar, the critically endangered gharial 's range is now limited to India and Nepal. What is a gharial ? Gharials , sometimes called... Gharial 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. The species are largely piscivorous of all extant crocodilians. The Gharial is a freshwater crocodile native to the Indian subcontinent, known for its long, narrow snout and semi-aquatic lifestyle in river habitats.
