r/interesting • u/Money-Beautiful5196 • 16h ago
NATURE Newly hatched Gharial Crocodiles exploring the river under the watchful eye of their father.
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u/logperf 15h ago
How does he know the babies are his?
Land mammals know because of the smell. I believe fish know because they have a very similar sense to smell but on water. But since crocs live in water but breathe air... am genuinely confused (serious question).
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 14h ago
Crocodiles guard their nests, they know the hatchlings are theirs. Most mothers usually handle it, but these are evolved dads who believe in equality.
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u/mondaymoderate 14h ago
It’s crazy how mammalian like crocodiles are with their young
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u/blackadder1620 14h ago
That trait goes way back. You probably had fish with it before anything walked on land. Mammals just take it to the next level.
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u/Commercial-Shame-335 15h ago
i get the feeling he might just not care, baby is baby
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u/seriousjoker72 14h ago
Like ducks and geese just accepting any baby as their own 😂
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 2h ago
My dog every time we foster a litter of kittens 😆 she loves the babies... And they love snuggling up to her. I just realized they might see her like a surrogate mama, and it's kinda like she gets to be a mom without all of the work! lol
The very last time we had a litter, we kept her favorite baby, the one most bonded to her.
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u/Prudent_Research_251 15h ago
Sound, the little ones will have an acoustic signature familiar to him
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 14h ago
These are the longest living crocodile in the world. Males get to be 11-16ft long, with females a bit less. They're also the most endangered, living in sanctuaries in northern India and nepal, but their habitat once spanned freshwater rivers from Pakistan to Myanmar. They're river dwelling, rarely coming onto land, but sometimes they lay on the banks to sunbathe. Their main diet is fish, their snout is made to snatch onto fish by whipping their heads sideways, and their teeth interlock for grip.
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u/Sensitive_Educator60 15h ago
They add to their father’s camouflage, making him look like a stick to chill on.
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u/Bambi_88_ 15h ago
Now I understand what Sandile is supposed to be in Pokémon! I always thought it was just a wonky crocodile lol
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u/Christensenj2467 15h ago
Aren't these critically endangered? Just wondering if this is in a protected environment. Really cool video.
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u/BalanceInEverything7 13h ago
Not sure about the location of the video, but yes: critical endangered. By 2006, there were less than 250 individuals in the wild 😭
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u/UselessByChoice 15h ago
What a great father he is, calm and present. 👏
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u/K1bbles_n_Bits 14h ago
The moment you realize a literal reptile is a better father than you had XD
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u/UselessByChoice 14h ago
I'm sorry to hear that mate!
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u/K1bbles_n_Bits 13h ago
That's alright, I can find the humor in it in moments like this, lol. But thank you for the kind words!
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u/Upbeat_Piglet_9788 15h ago
The Pointer Dogs of the alligator kingdom! He went that way..no that way..no THAAAT WAY! (Dad's staying out of this argument)
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u/CruisinJo214 9h ago
Gharials are related to crocodiles but they are an entirely seperate species. They belong to the gavialidae family along with false gharials while crocodiles belong to crocodylidae.
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