A large freshwater crocodilian native to India and Bangladesh with a distinctive long, slender snout.
From Hindi 'gharial' or 'ghariyal,' possibly from Sanskrit 'ghariyāka.' The word entered English in the 19th century through colonial India.
The gharial can grow 20 feet long but eats only fish—its needle-thin snout is perfectly designed to snap at prey in fast river currents, making it a specialized predator unlike other crocodilians.
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