Gharials and Turtles: Hot beach and cool pool
Stay a while to watch the gharials–an endangered crocodilian–and Asian turtles swimming in their luxurious pool or sunning themselves on the spacious sandy beach. The large pool is kept at a comfortable 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) and holds 55,000 gallons (208,200 liters) of water.
At the exhibit you can view the skeleton of an adult female gharial: check out the unique body armor on her back. A fossil representation of an extinct group of crocs is etched in stone nearby, and children can have fun tracing the footprints and tail marks of gharials that just might have strolled along the walking path. An extensive planting of trees and shrubs makes this area a private paradise for its residents. The most predominant of the plants are the loulu palms. An impressive fan palm, they are recognizable by their stiff, pleated leaves and large crown.
Crocs are carnivores and eat whatever they can catch in the water or along the banks. Gharials are specialists, though—with their slender snouts, all they can catch are fish. At the San Diego Zoo, the gharials are offered trout, pompano, capelin, and butterfish. Their turtle roommates, such as painted and river terrapins, narrow-headed soft-shelled turtles, Chinese stripe-necked turtles, spend most of their time swimming in the deep pool. Note the underwater sand pits—there may be a turtle hiding in there, too!
