Asiatic elephant vs Gharial

Elephas maximus compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Gharial is Critically Endangered.
• Asiatic elephant is herbivore while Gharial is carnivore.
• Asiatic elephant is 20.0x heavier than Gharial.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Elephas maximus	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Gharial
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	60 years	60 years
Average Length	5.5 m	5.0 m
Average Weight	4.0 t	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Asiatic elephant

Smaller than its African cousin, Asiatic elephants range across South and Southeast Asian forests and grasslands from India to Indonesia. Distinguished by their smaller ears, rounded back, and a single finger-like projection on the trunk tip. Deeply interwoven with Asian cultures, they have been used in religious ceremonies and as working animals for millennia. Endangered, with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.

Gharial

The gharial is a fish-eating crocodilian with a distinctive long, narrow snout. It is critically endangered with fewer than 700 adults.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇮🇳 India