Thursday, March 14, 2013

Mugger Crocodile


Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) (literally "crocodile of the marsh"), also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries. This is one of three crocodiles found in India, the other is a crocodile and saltwater crocodile.
The name "mugger" is a loan from Hindi Magar. This in turn comes from the Sanskrit makara "crocodiles, water monster myth, sign of the zodiac"

Crocodile mugger have 19 teeth on each side, the muzzle is 1 ⅓ to 1 ½ as long as broad at the base, rough head but without the mountains, simfisis mandibular teeth, extending even to the fourth or fifth stage, pre-Maxillo-maxillary suture, on the ceiling , transverse, nearly straight, or curved forward, and the nasal bone separating pnemaxillaries. Nuchals four large square shape, with a smaller on each side, two pairs nuchals smaller transverse series behind oksiput. Dorsal shield well separated from the nuchal, the Scutes usually in 4, rarely in 6, longitudinal series, those of the two median usually much larger than the old one, 16 or 17 transverse series. Keeled scales on the leg. Fingers webbed at the base, outside the holistic webbed toes. A serrated fringe on the outer edge of the foot. Adult blackish olive above: young pale olive, dotted and black look. The largest specimen in the British Museum measure 3.7 m (12 feet), but the individual is said to grow much larger.

On average, women are 2.45 m (8.0 ft) long and the male is 3.05 m (10.0 ft). Weight in adults is variable, because the big boys can be much heavier built from small adult female, and can range typically from 40 to 200 kg (88-440 lb). Old, an adult male can be far greater, until 4-5 m (13-16 ft) and weigh more than 450 kg (1000 pounds). Despite the more than 4.3 m (14 ft) are very rare, the biggest mugger in large entry measured 5.2 m (17 feet) long. Crocodile mugger can reach speeds of around 8 mph over short distances in the pursuit of faster prey.They can swim 10 to 12 mph in short bursts, when they go on a tour of about 1 to 2 mph.

Crocodile mugger were found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the southern tip of Iran, and probably in Indo-China and at one point, even in southern Iraq. Mugger are only crocodile found in Iran and Pakistan. Crocodiles are the most common and wide from three species of crocodiles in India, far numbering saltwater crocodile which is far greater in the state (and most likely in neighboring countries).

In the 1980s, the largest population of wild crocodiles in Tamil Nadu, South India living in Amaravathi Reservoir and the Chinnar, Thennar and pambar river that drains into it. Here their total estimated population of 60 adults and 37 sub-adults. The Amaravati Sagar Crocodile Farm, Established in 1975, there, is the largest crocodile breeding in India. Eggs collected from wild nests along the perimeter of the dam that will hatch and raised on a farm. There are up to 430 animals kept in captivity at a time. Hundreds of adult crocodiles have been rolled back from here to the wild. Pakistan's population is estimated at between 400 to 450 animals found in coastal areas and rivers from Sindh and Baluchistan. Estimates for the number of animals in Sindh in 160, while in Balochistan the estimated total is 64, while only 24 looks in there, sources in the Sindh Wildlife Department said, requesting anonymity.

In the Makran coast of Iran, on the Chabahar found approximately 200 corocodiles mugger. They custom Sarbaz River, River Shoulder Kalat, Pishin wood and river basins in the province of Baluchistan. Due to human activities and that the long drought the late 1990's, early 2000's, the mugger had driven to the brink of ruin for several years. After several tropical cyclones like Gonu Cyclone and Cyclone Yamyin in 2007, and Cyclone Phet in 2010, most of the mugger Iran crocodile habitat has been restored as a dry lake and hamuns have flooded again. The animal is known as Gando in the local iran vernacular.

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