River crocodile or Gavialis is a crocodile living in river. This crocodile has long and small snout, as specific adaptation to gripp moving and smaller prey. Gavialias has many teeth, both on maxila or mandibular, which are more than a hundred teeth. Gavialis more likes deep and flowing rivers, where the adult nesting together in holes in the curves of the rivers, while the younger choose the river banks or in the branch of a river. The long and small snout helps Gavialis to easily catch the fish and move faster. They have Sharp and interdigitated teeth to grip the smooth fish. The average weight of Gavialis is 159 – 250 kg. The male usually reach 3 – 5 meters, while the female is smaller with averge length 2,7-3,75 meters.
In Java, this animal emerged on early and middle Pleistocene. In Sangiran Site, Gavialis’ fossils were found in Kabuh Formation, dated 500,000 -600,000 years ago. (Pipit Puji Lestari, Marlia Yulianti Rosyidah, Febri Wijanarko, Iwan SB) Plese click here
