different between gavial vs caiman

English

Wikispecies

Alternative forms

• gharial

Etymology

From Hindi ??????? (gha?iy?l).

Noun

gavial (plural gavials)

1. The crocodilian Gavialis gangeticus; any species of the family Gavialidae.
   • 2002, Pierre-Henri Gouyon, Jean-Pierre Henry, Jacques Arnould, Tiiu Ojasoo (translator), Gene Avatars: The Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution, [1997, Les avatars du gène: La théorie néodarwinienne de l'évolution], page 28,

     Cuvier had begun studying the fossils of crocodiles found near Caen and Honfleur in France. (They were, in fact, gavials, fine-jawed crocodiles that are nowadays found in India).

   • 2006, Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Ravenous Reptiles, page 19,

     Although human remains and jewelry have been found in their stomachs, gavials are not as fierce as many alligators and crocodiles.

   • 2011, Joseph T. Springer, Dennis Holley, An Introduction to Zoology: Investigating the Animal World, page 415,

     Gavials (or gharials) are found only on the northern Indian subcontinent, where most are riverine, being best adapted to calmer areas in deep fast-flowing rivers.

Usage notes

Technically, extending the definition to family Gavialidae results in including just one other extant species: the false gavial (Tomistoma schlegelii). However, the subfamily Tomistominae is often (perhaps usually) excluded from Gavialidae.

Synonyms

• (Gavialis gangeticus): fish-eating crocodile, gharial, Indian gharial
• (any species of Gavialidae): gavialid

Derived terms

• false gavial (Tomistoma schlegelii)

Related terms

• gavialid

Translations

See also

• caiman
• Gavialis

French

Noun

gavial m (plural gaviaux)

1. gavial

Romanian

Etymology

From French gavial, from Hindi ??????? (gha?iy?l, “alligator, crocodile”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?avi?al/
• Hyphenation: ga?vi?al

Noun

gavial m (plural gaviali)

1. gavial

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From French gavial, from Hindi ??????? (gha?iy?l, “alligator, crocodile”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a?bjal/, [?a???jal]
• Rhymes: -al

Noun

gavial m (plural gaviales)

1. gavial, gharial

English

Alternative forms

• cayman

Etymology

From Spanish caiman or Portuguese caimão, from Galibi Carib acayouman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ke?.m?n/
• Rhymes: -e?m?n

Noun

caiman (plural caimans)

1. Any of the relatively small crocodilians of genus Caiman, within family Alligatoridae.
   • 1995, Laurie Agopian, Extended Thematic Unit: Rain Forest, page 32,

     Caimans are reptiles that are closely related to their Central and South American neighbors, the alligators. Adult caimans are usually four to six feet (1.8 m) in length.

   • 2002, International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Brown bear - Cheetah, 3rd Edition, page 358,

     The caimans are found in South America, mainly in the Amazon basin, with one species extending into the southern part of Mexico and another reaching northern parts of Argentina.

   • 2010, Carrol L. Henderson, Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide, page 164,

     Newly hatched caimans eat insects. Young caimans are eaten by Jabirus, Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and raccoons. Adult caimans have no predators except human poachers.

2. A semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America. To differentiate from caimans, they are referred to as caiman lizards.

Derived terms

• caiman lizard

Translations

See also

• alligator, gator
• crocodile, croc
• gavial, gharial

References

Further reading

• caiman on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• -maniac, Mancia, mancia, maniac

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /k?j?man/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /kaj?man/
• Rhymes: -an

Noun

caiman m (plural caimans)

1. caiman

Romanian

Etymology

From French caïman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaj?man/
• Hyphenation: cai?man

Noun

caiman m (plural caimani)

1. caiman

Declension