# Gharial (*Gavialis gangeticus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/gharial  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a reptile in the crocodilian order Crocodylia and the family Gavialidae. It falls in the large size class, with a representative adult body mass of 153 kg. It lays 1 clutch per year with 38.9 per clutch, the eggs incubate for 80 days, and sexual maturity comes at 13 years, with reported values from 10 to 14 years. The IUCN Red List classifies the gharial as Critically Endangered, a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 153 kg |
| Length | 2.6 m – 6 m |
| Lifespan | 28.8 years – 100 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | riverine |
| Egg incubation | 80 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 38.9 |
| Age at maturity | 10 years – 14 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Crocodylia
- family: Gavialidae
- genus: Gavialis
- species: *Gavialis gangeticus* (Gmelin, 1789)

Synonyms: *Crocodilus arctirostris*, *Crocodilus gavial*, *Crocodilus longirostris*, *Crocodilus tenuirostris*, *Lacerta gangetica*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the gharial?

The gharial is a reptile, a crocodilian in the order Crocodylia and the family Gavialidae.

### How heavy is the gharial?

The gharial has a representative adult body mass of 153 kg, placing it in the large size class.

### Is the gharial endangered?

Yes. The IUCN Red List classifies the gharial as Critically Endangered (CR), a threatened category.

### How long does the gharial live?

The gharial has a lifespan of 28.8 years, and the highest value reported by our sources is 100 years.

### How many eggs does the gharial lay?

The gharial produces 38.9 per clutch and lays 1 clutch per year; the eggs incubate for 80 days.

### At what age does the gharial reach sexual maturity?

The gharial reaches sexual maturity at 13 years, with reported values from 10 to 14 years.

### Who named the gharial and when?

The scientific name Gavialis gangeticus carries the authority (Gmelin, 1789).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/gharial