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    Indian Crocodile

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    Indian Crocodile

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    Indian-Crocodile

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    Indian Crocodile

    Uploaded by

    harinarayanpatra4
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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    IUCN Indian Crocodiles & World Crocodile Day

    Crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas
    and Australia. There are a total of 23 known crocodile species, of which 7 are currently listed as
    Critically Endangered, 4 as Vulnerable, 12 as Least Risk as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened
    Species.

    Crocodilian Species Found in India


    Discussed below are a few crocodilian species which are found in India along with their status as per
    IUCN, CITES and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

    ● Mugger
    ○ Restricted to the Indian subcontinent, Mugger or Marsh crocodiles are generally found
    in freshwater habitats including lakes, marshes and rivers
    ○ They may also be found in coastal saltwater lagoons and estuaries
    ○ Both young and adult mugger crocodiles dig burrows where they retreat when the
    temperature drops below 5°C
    ○ While the Mugger crocodile hatchlings are pale olive with black spots, the adults
    are dark olive to grey or brown
    ○ They are an egg-laying and hole-nesting species
    ○ It preys on fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
    ○ The main cause of their vulnerable status is habitat destruction, fragmentation, and
    transformation, fishing activities and use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes
    ○ This species of crocodile are already extinct in Myanmar and Bhutan. Refer to the
    table below for their status:
    IUCN Red List Vulnerable

    CITES Appendix I

    Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule I

    ● Saltwater Crocodile
    ○ Also known as a maneater, the saltwater crocodiles are believed to be the largest
    crocodile species living on Earth
    ○ They are also known as the estuarine crocodile
    ○ In India, it inhabits Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the Sundarbans in West
    Bengal and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands. They can also be found across
    Southeast Asia and northern Australia
    ○ It is capable of prevailing over almost any animal that enters its territory and ambushes
    most of its prey and then drowns or swallows it as a whole
    ○ Its reputation as a man-eater is one of the biggest reasons for its hunting and a threat to
    its existence. It is also hunted for its skin and another major cause of its decorating
    population is loss of habitat
    ○ The table below shows its global status:
    IUCN Red List Least Concern

    CITES Appendix I

    Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule I

    ● Gharial
    ○ The gharial, also known as the gavial is the longest of all living crocodilians
    ○ They have long and thin snouts which resemble an earthen pot (known as “Ghara”
    in Hindi”), and thus, are called gharial
    ○ It currently inhabits rivers in the plains of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent
    ○ The Chambal river in the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains is known as the
    primary habitat of gharials
    ○ The gharial population is estimated to have declined from 5,000–10,000 individuals in
    1946 to fewer than 250 individuals in 2006
    ○ The main causes of this decline include illegal sand mining, poaching, habitat
    destruction, floods and massive scale fishing operations
    ○ Given below is the status of Gharial:
    IUCN Red List Critically Endangered

    CITES Appendix I

    Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule I

    What is Appendix I of CITES?


    The species threatened with extinction are included in Appendix I of CITES. Trade of specimens of
    these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances
    Know more about the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and
    Fauna (CITES) at the linked article.

    What is Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972?


    This schedule covered endangered species, which need rigorous protection and therefore, the
    harshest penalties for violation of the law are under this Schedule.
    Visit the linked article and read in detail about the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

    Crocodile Census in India


    ● In January 2020, the crocodile census was held in Bhitarkanika National Park of Orisha, and
    its nearby areas in Kendrapara district.
    ● 22 teams to count the crocodiles in all the creeks and rivers within the park and its nearby areas
    were formed by the officials and 1,757 crocodiles were found. This was slightly more than last
    year’s count which was 1,742 crocodiles.
    ● During the census, 620 hatchlings, 325 yearlings, 288 juveniles, 185 sub-adult and 339
    adult crocodiles were found.
    ● The enumerators also sighted around 12 albino crocodiles and four giant crocodiles more
    than 20 feet long in the water bodies

    Human-Crocodile Conflict
    It is important for people to understand the existence of mankind relies on a balance between nature
    and wildlife. Killing and hunting of animals will not just degrade the wildlife and environment but also
    harm human existence.

    The biggest cause of the decline in the population of Indian crocodiles is the fact that their habitats are
    being destroyed for selfish human reasons. Urbanisation and encroachment of humans on the river
    banks and marshy areas are the key causes of the human-crocodile conflict.

    In India, Vadodara, Kota and Bhitarkanika are considered as the major human-crocodile conflict
    hotspots. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also a part of this list.

    World Crocodile Day


    June 17th, every year is observed as World Crocodile Day. It is a global awareness campaign to
    highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.

    As a measure to conserve crocodiles in India, the Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in
    1975 in different Indian states. It was a result of this conservation programme that the saltwater
    crocodiles which were 96 in count in 1976, increased to 1640 by 2012.

    The concerned authorities should conduct awareness campaigns to highlight the plight of endangered
    crocodiles. Modern technology must be incorporated in the future census to know the exact count of
    crocodiles across the country.

    IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG)


    The IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) is a worldwide network of biologists, wildlife
    managers, government officials, independent researchers, non-government (NGO) representatives,
    farmers, traders, tanners, fashion leaders, and private companies actively involved in the conservation
    of the world's 23 living species of alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharial in the wild.

    It was founded in 1971 and its main mission is to assist IUCN and Species Survival Commission (SSC)
    in the conservation, management and sustainability of crocodiles across the globe.

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