long snout of gharial, delhi zoo

Gavialis gangeticus

Long, narrow jaws with over a hundred teeth are well designed to catch fish. The gharial catches the fastest of fish by slashing its jaws in water. Once caught, the fish is tossed over its sharp, piercing teeth. The head of the fish is gulped first. Fish is the staple food of gharial. Occasionally, it also eats turtles, birds, small mammals, and is said to feed on corpses too. The peculiar snout prevents the gharial from trying for bigger animals. If a big fish does get caught then the gharial first move to shallow waters to maintain its balance. After that, it jerks its head now and then. As a result, the fish breaks into pieces.