Crocodilian Species in India

Why in News

Recently, Odisha's Kendrapara district has earned the distinction of being the only district in India where all three species of crocodiles, salt-water, gharial and mugger, are found.

Key Points

• Mugger or Marsh Crocodile:
  
  • Description:
    
    • An egg-laying and hole-nesting species, also known to be dangerous.
  • Habitat:
    
    • Mainly restricted to the Indian subcontinent where it may be found in a number of freshwater habitat types and also in coastal saltwater lagoons and estuaries.
    • It is already extinct in Bhutan and Myanmar.
  • Threats:
    
    • Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and transformation, fishing activities and use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes.
  • Protection Status:
    
    • IUCN List of Threatened Species: Vulnerable
    • CITES: Appendix I
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Estuarine or Saltwater Crocodile:
  
  • Description:
    
    • Considered as the Earth’s largest living crocodile species, infamous globally as a known maneater.
  • Habitat:
    
    • Found in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the Sundarbans in West Bengal and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
    • Also found across Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
  • Threats:
    
    • Illegal hunting, habitat loss, and antipathy toward the species because of its reputation as a maneater.
  • Protection Status:
    
    • IUCN List of Threatened Species: Least Concern
    • CITES : Appendix I (except the populations of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, which are included in Appendix II).
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 : Schedule I
• Gharial:
  
  • Description:
    
    • Sometimes called gavials, are a type of Asian crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts which resembles a pot (ghara in Hindi).
    • The population of Gharials is a good indicator of clean river water.
    • Known to be a relatively harmless, fish-eating species.
  • Habitat:
    
    • Mostly found in fresh waters of the himalayan rivers.
    • The Chambal river in the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains (Madhya Pradesh) is known as the primary habitat of gharials.
    • Other himalayan rivers like Ghagra, Gandak river, Girwa river, Ramganga river and the Sone river are secondary habitats.
  • Threats:
    
    • Illegal sand mining, poaching, increased river pollution, dam construction, massive-scale fishing operations and Floods.
  • Protection Status:
    
    • IUCN List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered
    • CITES: Appendix I
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Conservation Efforts:
  
  • Odisha has announced a cash award of Rs. 1,000 to conserve gharials in Mahanadi River Basin.
  • The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975 in different States.

Source: DTE