Creature 255: Gavialis gangeticus

Big wimp

Gavialis gangeticus is a crocodilian species which is commonly known as a gharial.

They are among the largest of all crocodilians and according to unconfirmed reports are the longest of all crocodilians.  Males usually grow at least 5 m long and often reach 6 m. Unconfirmed reports suggest they might be capable of growing up to 7 m long.

Crocodilians are usually pretty scary, especially when they are 6 m long, but these gentle giants are not interested in eating you. They live on a diet consisting entirely of fish. Their jaws have been modified to be thin and narrow with lots of little needle-like teeth. They are incapable of raising their body off the ground while on dry land and can only move around on land by 'belly sliding' with their legs providing propulsion.

Distribution:
The gharail used to be found in river systems throughout the Indian subcontinent but their range is now limited to parts of Northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar

Classification:
Gharails are one of only two surviving species in the crocodilian family Gavialidae.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Gavialidae
Genus: Gavialis
Species: Gavialis gangeticus

Image Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharial

http://www.reptarium.cz/en/profiles/1451/photogallery/16434

Creature 178: Trilophosuchus rackhami

A (thankfully) extinct crocodillian

Description:
Trilophosuchus rackhami is a member of an extinct group of crocodiles.

Crocodillians are probably some of the scariest ambush predators in the world, they are very efficient killers and have had the same basic body plan and hunting strategy for hundreds of millions of years. Fortunately all living are aquatic, and avoiding them is a simple matter of avoiding the water in which they live. Image, however that there was a crocodillian that lived in trees. Certain aspects of the skeleton of Trilophosuchus rackhami indicate that it was terrestrial, and possibly even arboreal, all though not all paleontologists agree. Walking through a dark forest would be a lot more scary if there were crocodiles in the trees waiting to spring out and ambush you on the ground.

Distribution:
Trilophosuchus rackhami is only known from the Riversleigh deposits in North Queensland and are Miocene in age.

Classification:
Trilophosuchus rackhami is the only member described in the genus Trilophosuchus.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodilidae
Genus: Trilophosuchus 
Species: Trilophosuchus rackhami

Image Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilophosuchus