Trivia question for Feb-08-2011

Olivia picked this odd looking creature because she said it looks like the underdog of the species.  These guys are among the largest reptiles.  The largest of their kind ever caught was found in india measuring over 23-feet in length.

They lay an average of 37 eggs but nests with over 100 eggs are occasionally found.  These guys were once widely distributed south of the Himalayas in central Asia.  Now they are fragmented through parts of northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

So here’s our questions:  Can you tell us why human remains have been found in the stomachs of these guys yet there have been no reports of them ever attacking a human, and also tell us what the main threat is which is currently keeping them on the endangered list?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Wow the question about the human-remains being found in their stomachs really through you guys off.  We too did not understand how this was possible until we learned more about where these guys live.  The Gharial is a relative to the crocodile and they live in the fast moving rivers in central Asia and India.  In India, it is common practice by the Hindu to float the bodies of their deceased down a river as part of their funeral proceedings.  That spells a free-lunch for these guys.

Habitat alteration and hunting has exacted a huge toll on the Gharial.  Intense conservation efforts and a thorough relocation program has helped keep these guys from the brink of extinction, but they are not out of the woods yet.  Here is more on these odd looking characters: GHARIAL

Thanks for playing along 😉