Call it video blogging for reptiles: conservationists are attaching cameras to the critically endangered Indian gharial, a crocodile-like creature, to understand more about its life in a bid to save it. Only about 1,000 gharials, who have a characteristically narrow snout, are believed to live in the wild in India's Chambal and Yamuna rivers. The species is almost extinct in neighboring nations. In an attempt to better understand the reptiles' habitat and life cycle, scientists at the Gharial Conservation Park in Lucknow are using small video cameras for “bio-logging.” The lightweight cameras are attached to gharials that are released into the wild, where they record pictures every four seconds and monitor movement and behavior. The camera remains attached to the gharial's head for four hours before automatically detaching itself.
