Brook Alder vs Gharial

Alnus maritima compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

Brook Alder is Endangered while Gharial is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Alder	Gharial
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Betulaceae	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Alnus	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Alnus maritima	Gavialis gangeticus

Conservation Status

Brook Alder

EN — Endangered

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Alder	Gharial
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	60 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Alder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. 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.

Brook Alder

The Brook Alder (Alnus maritima) is a species in the genus Alnus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.