Tuesday, March 3, 2015

SPECIES OF THE MONTH: MARCH 2015


Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Gavialidae
Genus: Gavialis
Species: Gavialis gangeticus

The Uttar Pradesh government in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature released a total of 65 juveniles of Gharials , into the Ganges. Gharial is listed as a 'Critically Endangered' species in the IUCN Red List and falls under 'Schedule I' of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The Gharial is one of the longest of all living crocodilians, measuring up to 6.25 m (20.5 ft). It is also one of the longest of all living crocodilians, measuring up to 6.25 m (20.5 ft). Gharials once inhabited all the major river systems of the Indian Subcontinent, from the Irrawaddy River in the east to the Indus River in the west. 

In December 2007, several Gharials were found dead in the Chambal River. Post mortem pathological testing of tissue samples from the dead gharials revealed high levels of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, which together with stomach ulcers and necropsies caused their deaths.

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