1. a large crocodilian with a long, narrow snout found in rivers of the Indian subcontinent

Examples

• The gavial is critically endangered with fewer than 200 breeding adults remaining in the wild.
• Unlike other crocodilians, the gavial has a distinctively narrow snout adapted for catching fish.
• Conservation efforts are underway to protect gavial nesting sites along the Ganges River.
• The male gavial develops a bulbous growth called a ghara at the tip of its snout.
• Gavials can grow up to 20 feet in length, making them one of the longest crocodilian species.
• The gavial’s diet consists primarily of fish, unlike the more varied diet of other crocodiles.