Crocodile is a large tropical reptile having broad head, tapering snout, massive jaws and a thick outer covering of bony plates. Similarly, alligators are large crocodilians of the Southern US having powerful jaws but different from the crocodiles in having a shorter and broader snout. A similar but smaller species are found in China, which is not noticed in India. The Cayman is a reptile of America.
The easiest way to distinguish between an alligator and a crocodile is that, a large lower tooth is visible in each case. The crocodile’s snout is much shorter. In case of alligator, the upper teeth cover the lower teeth. Average length of an American crocodile is 12-foot, but it is known to be exceeding to 20 feet in certain cases. There are other varieties of South American, African and Asian crocodiles as well.
In India, there are three types of crocodiles and all these types are also noticed in Odisha. But the habitats of all these three crocodiles are different. The river Mahanadi, which is the lifeline of Odisha, houses all these three types. The reptile Gharial is a large fish eating Indian crocodile with a very long slander snout or muzzle. In Hindi, it is known as Gharial crocodile.
The best habitat of nature provided to this animal is the Satkoshia gorge of the Mahanadi river. The male Gharial is having a pot like structure on its snout; which is not noticed in case of female one.
This species is named after the river Ganges because a plenty of the reptiles are found in the river Ganga. Although the river Ganga and the Mahanadi do not join together anywhere in their courses meeting the Bay of Bengal, yet most of the aquatic species found in both the rivers are common, which is quite amazing.
The Gharial is a fresh water reptile and it does not enter into the oceanic water for its existence. It shows once the Ganga and Mahanadi were joining together either through their branches or somehow in their courses. So the aquatic creatures are common in both cases. Even in case of the Subarnarekha, the Brahmani and the Baitarani rivers, same kinds of water species are found.
Due to indiscriminate hunting of crocodiles for skins and poisoning of river for killing fish and other aquatic species, the habitat for them is lost. Faculty agricultural practices and use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides, including thieving of eggs of reptiles for table reasons, the population of crocodiles of all kinds is alarmingly depleted. So during 1971-72, the Gharial and Mugger artificial breeding centre at Tikarapara was established for protection, conservation and propagation of the fresh water
crocodiles.
Similarly, the artificial breeding creature for salt water crocodiles like Baula or the white or partially white crocodiles has been established in Dangamal in the Bhitarkanika for propagation of the dwindling species. The mugger artificial crocodile breeding centre at Ramatirtha in Similipal was established around this time. All the vulnerable places like Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and Devi river mouths also are captive breeding centres of salt water crocodiles.
For all these three species, a captive breeding centre in Nandankanan Zoological Park was also set up where regular research programme for scientific management of the reptiles is conducted. Such research programmes in different stations and in different environment and ecological biosphere could lead to a modicum of success in the preservation of the crocodiles.
February and March are the season of breeding of crocodile. The eggs are generally collected from nature. The writer quite remembers when some eggs of Gharial from the river sands of Tikarapara of Mahanadi river were collected for artificial breeding during 1972. A few eggs were brought from Gangtok in Nepal. The artificial breeding took place at Tikarpada and it was a great success.
All the rivers of India are polluted now. The food chains of marine ecosystems are also polluted for the reasons. June 8 is observed as the World Ocean Day for conservation of flora and fauna of the oceanic bodies. The whole ocean monitors the climate of the world. So the oceanic eco-systems should be saved from all kinds of pollutions.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)