Assessment of potential suitable habitats stretch of fresh water Crocodile, Gharial Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin 1789) in the Chambal River, Madhya Pradesh, India

The freshwater Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is protected under National and International conservation laws as a critical endangered species. In India, the species is endemic to the Ganges and the Brahmaputra river systems and the populations are purported to have declined drastically due to human activities causing habitat loss. We have studied the habitat use pattern of Gharial from 2006 to 2008. The study was carried out in the Chambal River covering a stretch of 395 km i.e. between Pali to Chakarnagar, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Sampling strategy consisted of boat transects followed by direct sighting method and data was collected at every 5 km. Gharial habitats was observed 265 km out of 395 km area surveys. Gharial was sighted 51 sites out of 395 km. Habitat preferences of Gharials are attributed to deep pools and steep sand banks for nesting and basking. Conservation implications have been discussed in the light of the results indicating the suitable habitat pattern for the Gharial species in the particular River stretch.