False gharial  (Tomistoma schlegelii)

The false gharial is an unusual freshwater crocodilian (a group that includes alligators, crocodiles, caimans and the gharial) about which very little is known. Like the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) from which it gets its common name, this species has a slender snout (2). Juveniles are dark/chocolate brown with black banding on the tail and body, a creamy white belly and dark blotches on the jaws; much of this colouration is retained into adulthood (2). Controversy over the taxonomy of this species remains, as morphological features (other than the snout shape) suggest it belongs in the family Crocodylidae where it is currently placed, but recent biochemical and immunological evidence suggests a closer relationship with the gharial, indicating it should also be placed in the family Gavialidae (3).