FIRST RECORD OF MUGGER CROCODILE CROCODYLUS PALUSTRIUS (LESSON, 1831) FROM RIVER KADAVI AT SARUD, TAL, SHAHUWADI, DIST. KOLHAPUR, M.S., INDIA S. R. PATIL 1 , R. H. ATIGRE 2 , S. V. PATIL 3 . 1. Principal, Deshbhakt Anandrao Balawantrao Naik Arts and Science College Chikhali, Tal. Shirala Dist. Sangli M.S., India. 2. Head, Department of Zoology, Shri Vijaysinha Yadav Arts & Science College, Peth- Vadgaon, Tal. Hatkanangale, Dist. Kolhapur, M.S. India. 3. Secretary, Vasundhara Environmental Conservation and Research Organization (ECRO), Warananagar, Tal. Panhala, Dist. Kolhapur, M.S. India. ABSTRACT The paper is about the first record of crocodile Crocodylus palustrius (Lesson, 1831) from river Kadavi at Sarud, Tal-Shahuwadi. Dist-Kolhapur, M. S., India. This is the first record of the order Crocodilia and genus Crocodylus for River Kadavi and western Maharashtra. In the month of February 2007, one crocodile was observed basking on left bank of river Kadavi near village Sarud of Kolhapur district. In May 2007, nesting of crocodile was also observed on the same place. We have used ground survey method to identify new potential habitat of the animal and to examine the distribution and presence of the species. Field observations indicated that the crocodile is present in river Kadavi-the tributary of river Warana which is the major tributary of river Krishna. River Krishna is a main river of Deccan plateau running from Sahyadri ranges of Maharashtra to Bay of Bengal in east direction. Besides, the presence of crocodile in river Kadavi their movements were observed in river Warana also. Still no any record is available, which confirms the presence of this crocodilian species in river Kadavi and Warana and based on this evidenced study, one more reptilian species – crocodile Crocodylus palustrius can be added to the list of reptilian fauna of these rivers as well as that of Kolhapur district. This new record of crocodile’s presence in the river Kadavi and Warana requires further investigations. Key words: crocodile Crocodylus palustrius, new record, basking behaviour, River Kadavi, River Warana. INTRODUCTION Crocodiles as known to human being are the largest reptiles present on the earth. They are known since remote paste. The Indian mythology represents crocodiles as a ride of Maa Ganga (the Ganga river goddess). Also it is said that the god of rain – varuna rides on monster of makara. Till then world represents only 22 species of Crocodiles, out of which only 3 are found in India. These are – the Gharial- Gavialis gangeticus, the mugger- Crocodylus palustrius and the salt-water crocodile- Crocodylus porosus. Out of these three species of crocodiles from India, the most common and widely found is the crocodile Crocodylus palustrius. This is the broad-snouted mugger crocodile which inhabits all kinds of fresh water habitats such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, hill streams and village ponds. It is categorized under vulnerable category in ‘IUCN Red List of Threatened Species’ and protected under schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (WTI, 2003; Da Silva and Lenin, 2010). It is observed only in Indian sub-continent. Available historical records suggest that in Bangladesh, the wild population of crocodile was extinct and only two wild crocodiles were known to live in community ponds (except in zoos); similarly in Bhutan, crocodiles are considered to have become extinct in the 1960s and in Myanmar last record of the species was