• Can You Smile at a Crocodile?
    Awake!—2005 | March 8

    • The Mugger and the Long-Nose Gavial

      The mugger, or marsh crocodile, and the gavial belong exclusively to the Indian subcontinent. About 13 feet [4 m] long, the mugger​—found in freshwater marshes, lakes, and rivers throughout India—​is much smaller than the saltwater crocodile. It catches small animals in its powerful jaws, drowns them, and swings them around to break off eatable chunks of flesh.

      How do muggers meet to mate? When searching for a mate, the male slaps his jaws on the water and growls. Later he will share nest-guarding duties with the female, help the hatchlings out of their eggs, and stay with them for some time.