The Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) has begun analysing the data of the crocodile census conducted in a 25-km urban stretch of the Vishwamitri river passing through Vadodara city.
About Vishwamitri River:
It originates on the hill of Pavagadh hills in Gujarat.
It is linked with two other tributaries Dhadhar and Jambuva and finally culminates in the Gulf of Kambhat.
It is primarily rain-fed, flows through a 25-km stretch of Vadodara, along the way before meeting the sea in Bharuch district.
It is highly meandering sinuous river which has a unique ecosystem bearing a plethora of beautiful ravines right from its beginning till its end.
The Vadodara stretch of the Vishwamitri is unique in that it is home to a large population of mugger or marsh crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris).
Mugger Crocodiles:
It is one of the 24 extant species of crocodilians found globally.
Habitat: It is native to freshwater and inhabits marshes, lakes, rivers and artificial ponds.
Distribution: In India it is found in 15 states, with the largest populations in the middle Ganges (Bihar-Jharkhand) and Chambal (Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan) basins.
They are also found in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh — as well as south-eastern Iran.
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