Smallest crocodile family

The smallest taxonomic family of crocodiles is Gavialidae, which only contains two species. These are the gavial or gharial Gavialis gangeticus, and the false gavial Tomistoma schlegelii. Both species are rare, are found only in southern Asia, and can be recognized by their long, narrow snout with an enlarged swelling or boss located dorsally at the end of it.

Although only two species survive today, in prehistoric times there were several additional, closely related species belonging to this family. They include Gavialis bengawanicus, Gavialis breviceps, Gavialis browni, Gavialis curvirostris, Gavialis hysudricus, Gavialis leptodus, Gavialis lewisi and Gavialis pachyrhynchus. The genus Gavialis probably first appeared approximately 20 million years ago, during the Miocene epoch.