Gharial

Gharial
インドガビアル
Character Data
Romaji		Indogabiaru
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Gavialis gangeticus
Distribution		the Indian Subcontinent
Diet		Carnivore
Avg. Lifespan		40-60 years
Read More		Gharial
Conservation

Gharial

Nexon Game

The Gharial is a Crocodilia Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.

Appearance

Gharial has short green hair with two braids and a short ponytail. The hair are longer on the sides, and franges color diverts slightly towards white. Because of the animal's distribution, she has the Tilaka mark on her forehead and a metis skin. She wears complete black outfit with an orange and green Sari decorated with may be seeds, red and green roses. Finally, she carries orange moccasins and a peer of golden bracelets around her wrists and heels, but only one around her neck. Like the real animal, she bears a large green tail. As an extra, she holds a weapon which represent the jaw of the real Gharial.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role
2015	Nexon Game	↪ Playable character.

In Real Life

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)

the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a massive crocodilian, exceeded in size only by the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). The species is characterized by its elongated, narrow snout, which varies in shape as an animal ages, becoming proportionally shorter and thicker over time. The bulbous growth on the tip of a male’s snout, called “ghara” after the Indian word meaning “pot,” is present in mature individuals, which utilize the structure to to modify and amplify “hisses” snorted through the underlying nostrils. The resultant sound can be heard for nearly a kilometer on a still day. The well-developed laterally flattened tail and webbed rear feet provide tremendous maneuverability in the Gharials’ deepwater habitat.

They are not able to raise their bodies off the ground and “high walk” the way most other species of crocodiles can. Instead, they drag their bodies across the ground. Because Indian gharials are not well adapted for movement on land, they usually leave the water only to bask and to nest. Indian gharials live in clear freshwater rivers with fast flowing currents. They congregate at river bends and other sections of rivers where the water is deep and the current is reduced.

The Gharial appears to be primarily a fish-eating species, but very large individuals are reported to eat other prey. Their jaws are well adapted for catching fish. There are three main hunting strategies. The sit and wait approach is where they float almost completely submerged under water and remain motionless until their pray passes right by them. The sweeping search involves an integumentary sensory organ found on the scales to sense vibrations in the water while slowly feeling through the water for prey. The third hunting strategy is a rapid strike. The thin jaw creates low water resistance for quick snaps underwater. Despite its immense size, its jaws make it physically incapable of devouring any large mammal, including a human being. However humans are still the greatest threat to the specie.

Like other crocodilians, the gharial is cold-blooded and uses spend a lot of time basking in the sun, more so in the winter than in the summer. They tend to revisit the same basking spot, which is always close to the water. Indian gharials also "gape" during basking to dissipate excess heat. Gaping is usually done in 10 to 20 minute intervals with the head at a 20 degree angle. On very hot days gharials completely submerge their bodies, leaving only their heads out of the water at a 20 to 30 degree angle. Indian gharials aggreggate in basking and nesting areas but are generally solitary.

gharials possess integumentary sense organs. These are tiny pits in the scales that cover the body. These pits are able to pick up vibrations or changes in water pressure, which aid in the search for prey. Their eyes have a reflective layer behind the eye, the tapetum lucidum, which aids in night vision.

Gharials are bred in captivity in the National Chambal Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, and in the Gharial Breeding Centre in Nepal's Chitwan National Park, where the eggs are generally hatched and then the gharials are grown for two to three years and average about one metre in length, when released

Trivia

Gharial at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam

• The gharial gets its name from the Hindi word “ghara” which means pot.

• In the 1970s the gharial came to the brink of extinction and even now remains on the severely endangered species list. The conservation efforts of the environmentalists in cooperation with several governments has led to some reduction in the threat of extinction. Futher reading in the Gharial Conservation Alliance's official website.

References

1. Whitaker, R.; Members of the Gharial Multi-Task Force; Madras Crocodile Bank (2007). "The Gharial: Going Extinct Again" (PDF). Volume. 14

2. "Gavialis gangeticus". ADW (Animal Diversity Web).