What is the false gharial?
Q: What is the false gharial?
A: The false gharial, also known as the Malayan gharial, is a fresh-water reptile that looks like a crocodile with a very thin and long snout. It has been classed in the family Gavialidae after recent immunological studies showed it was more closely related to the gharial than originally thought.
Q: Where can the false gharial be found?
A: The false gharial can be found in six river systems in Sumatra and Malaysia, as well as Borneo, Java, Vietnam, Thailand (not seen since 1970), and possibly Sulawesi. Fossils have also been found in southern China indicating that at some point in the past it occurred there.
Q: How does the false gharial reproduce?
A: Like all other crocodilians, the false gharial lays eggs. Females usually mature at 2–3 meters and will lay a clutch of 30-60 eggs in a mound of dry leaves or peat before abandoning their nest. Unlike most other species of crocodilian, young receive no parental care and are left to fend for themselves once they hatch after 90 days.
Q: What threats does this species face?
A: The false gharial is threatened with extinction throughout most of its range due to drainage of freshwater swamplands and clearance of surrounding rainforests which removes its habitat. Additionally, it is hunted frequently for its skin and meat while its eggs are often taken for human consumption.
Q: Are there any efforts being made to prevent extinction?
A: Yes, positive steps have been taken by both Malaysian and Indonesian governments to prevent extinction in the wild.
Q: Is this species related to other reptiles?
A: Yes, recent immunological studies show that it is more closely related to the Gavialidae family than originally thought despite having previously been classed under Crocodylidae family.
Q: How big do females typically grow when mature?
A: Females usually mature at 2–3 meters when fully grown.
