Distinguishing features
The false gharial is dark reddish-brown above with dark brown or black spots and cross-bands on the back and tail. Ventrals are grayish-white, with some lateral dark mottling. Juveniles are mottled with black on the sides of the jaws, body, and tail. The smooth and unornamented snout is extremely long and slender, parallel sided, with a length of 3 to 3.5 times the width at the base. All teeth are long and needle-like, interlocking on the insides of the jaws, and are individually socketed. The dorsal scales are broad at mid-body and extend onto the sides of the body. The fingers are webbed at the base. Integumentary sensory organs are present on the head and body scalation. Scales behind the head are frequently a slightly enlarged single pair. Some individuals bear a number of adjoining small keeled scales. Scalation is divided medially by soft granular skin. Three transverse rows of two enlarged nuchal scales are continuous with the dorsal scales, which consist of 22 transverse rows of 6 to 8 scales, are broad at mid-body and extend onto the sides of the body. Nuchal and dorsal rows equals a total of 22 to 23 rows. It has 18 double crested caudal whorls and 17 single crest caudal whorls. The flanks have one or two longitudinal rows of six to eight very enlarged scales on each side (Wikipedia)
Size
- Up to 500 cm (Length of specimen) - applies to Males
- Up to 327 cm (Length of specimen) - applies to Females
Synonyms
Distribution and habitat preferences
False gharials are native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Sumatra and Borneo, but have become extinct in Thailand. In the 1990s, information and sightings were available from 39 localities in 10 different river drainages, along with the remote river systems of Borneo. Apart from rivers, they inhabit swamps and lakes.
Prior to the 1950s, Tomistoma occurred in freshwater ecosystems along the entire length of Sumatra east of the Barisan Mountains. The current distribution in eastern Sumatra has been reduced by 30-40% due to hunting, logging, fires and agriculture. (Wikipedia)
