Gharial: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the gharial lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Gavialis gangeticus
Group	Crocodiles & alligators
Status	Critically endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	Asia
Class	Reptile
Order	Crocodilia
Family	Gavialidae

Where does the gharial live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the gharial in 2 countries and territories across Asia.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the gharial endangered?

The gharial’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Critically endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the gharial?

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a reptile in the order Crocodilia and the family Gavialidae, genus Gavialis. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the gharial

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), 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 2.6–4.5 m (8.5–14.8 ft) long, and males 3–6 m (9.8–19.7 ft). 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.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Gharial (revision 1380762499), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q17134 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).