Gharials Nesting

Gharial nests have been found in Chambal's sanctuary, so there's (some) hope for the species... (News source.)

Crocodilian Poaching

A news report out of Brazil says that 740 "alligator" corpses were found slaughtered in a nature reserve in the Amazon. (Alligators aren't found in Brazil, so they're either crocodiles or, more likely, caiman.) The reptiles had been skinned and salted, stashed away to later be sold for meat. Officials incinerated the bodies. The poachers weren't caught. (News source.)

Norway Caiman Returned

The dwarf caiman stolen from a Norwegian aquarium was returned; the thief was a reptile enthusiast (part of this site, it looks like) who claimed the animal was kept in poor conditions. (News source.)

Dwarf Croc Stolen

A Norway aquarium lost its dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) to thieves. (News source.)

They're offering an approx. $4900 reward for a reptile they claim is worth about $2000 on the legal market. (Not sure where they get that info, as they're sold for about $300 or so here in the US...)

Investigation Continues

The gharial deaths in India are still a mystery, though the colder weather recently may have helped abate the problem a little bit. (News source.)

Fish Poisoning Gharials?

A crocodile expert suggests that toxins accumulating in the skin of tilapia are poisoning India's gharials. (News source.)

Crocodopolis: World Record Crocs

The online magazine, Crocodopolis, has announced the Crocodilian World Records Project, with the first phase focusing on record alligators. For details, go here.

Gharial Investigation Continues

Live gharials are been captured and tested to acquire baseline data, so that researchers can figure out what's killing the species in India. (News source.)

"Post mortem analysis of dead Gharials found ulcerated lesions in the stomach and some inflammation in the intestine. Absence of external injuries rules out accidental death or poaching. Toxicological and pathological examination of the organs of the dead gharials by the IVRI, Bareilly, and ITRC, Lucknow found lead concentrations between 0.7-1.4 ppm. Liver and kidney tissues indicate degenerative changes. Presence of various stages of protozoan parasite was also detected. Autopsies conducted on 4 dead gharials on 27th January, 2008 revealed significant gout – both visceral and articulate. Even the feet and tail joints had uric acid deposits. Gout is indicative of kidney failure as a result of toxic poisoning or disease. However, the gharials seemed in good health condition with fat deposits."

Kin to Crocs

Brazilian paleontologists have described a new 5 1/2 foot terrestrial crocodilian in the fossil record. "The long-limbed and extremely agile animal, dubbed Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, roamed arid and hot terrain that is now Brazilian countryside." (News source.)

Gharial Deaths Continue

The Indian gharial epidemic continues, with over 100 dying on the Chambal river in the last 6 weeks. The cause is still unknown, but lead traces have been found in some bodies. (News source.)

Gharial Mortality

21 endangered gharials have died recently in the Chambal River, India, possibly due to bacterial disease (though uncertain.) Conservationists are alarmed. (News source.)

Reptile Fossils from Blue Hole

Excavations in a Bahamian blue hole (a water-filled sinkhole) have come up with fossils of a terrestrial crocodilian, a large tortoise, and several other creatures that became extinct after the islands became inhabited. (News source.)

Vietnam Croc Escapees

A crocodile farm in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, which had a large number of escapees during recent flooding is still uncertain how many might remain at large. "The company has said that of the 5,000 crocodiles it had before the floods, 216 have been found and 1,440 moved to a safer area. But it claims not to know how many are still in the farm." (News source.)

Ukraine Croc Finally Caught

The small crocodile that had escaped from a circus earlier this year was finally caught as cold weather set in. (News source.)

[Update - the crocodile died.]

India: Crocodilians Released

40 "alligators" have been released by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department into the River Chambal. I'm guessing the correct word is "gavials." Oddly, the article goes on to quote alligator facts (e.g, only found in China and America) taken off Wikipedia or wherever, but doesn't recognize the discontinuity. (News source.)

False Gharial in Thailand

It appears that a false gharial has been reported (and photographed) in Sattahip Lake, Thailand. The species hasn't been reported in that country since 1970. The photographs are not great, but it is a crocodilian, and has a profile consistent with Tomistoma schlegelii. (News source.)

Note, this is not the same species as the true gharial, Gavialis gangeticus, which the news source confuses.