Crocodile UPSC | World Crocodile Day 17 June

Crocodile UPSC | World Crocodile Day 20 June | Why In The News ?

World Crocodile Day is celebrated on 17th June. The day is a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.

Crocodilian Species in India :

Mugger or Marsh Crocodile
Estuarine or Saltwater Crocodile
Gharial

Mugger or Marsh Crocodile

Description:

The mugger is an egg-laying and hole-nesting species.
The mugger is also known to be dangerous.

Habitat:

It is mainly restricted to the Indian subcontinent where it may be found in a number of freshwater habitat types including rivers, lakes and marshes.
However, it can even be found 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 crocodiles parts for medicinal purposes.

Estuarine or Saltwater Crocodile

About Saltwater Crocodile

It is considered as the Earth’s largest living crocodile species.
The estuarine crocodile is infamous globally as a known maneater.
It is found in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the Sundarbans in West Bengal and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
It is also found across Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

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

Gharials, sometimes called gavials
distinguished by their long, thin snouts which resemble a pot.
Gharials are a type of Crocodilians that also includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, etc.
The population of Gharials is a good indicator of clean river water.
The gharial is known to be a relatively harmless, fish-eating species.
The gharials are 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 for gharials.