Tomistomas are generally a dark red and brown color on top with a lighter grey to white underbelly. Infant tomistomas have dark stripes on their bodies and jaws that fade as the individual ages. These critters have an extremely slender snout, much skinnier than other species of crocodile. The only crocodile that has a leaner snout is the gharial. 

The tomistoma, or false gharial, can grow to up to 16 feet in length, with the males typically being larger than the females by a few feet. They weigh 200-550 pounds at full maturity, the females weighing slightly less than the males.

The tomistoma is found in the Sarawak and peninsular regions of Malaysia, and in the Indonesian regions of eastern Sumatra, Kalimantan, and western Java. There have also been a few sightings of the critter in Brunei, a small nation in northern Borneo. There is a possibility for the species to inhabit other surrounding regions; however, little was known about the tomistoma until the late 1990s.

The false gharial prefers freshwater and swampy habitats or environments composed of peat, which is a “soil-like” ground substance found in more acidic environments and is made of decomposed plant matter.

Until recently, the tomistoma was thought to only feed on fish and small aquatic vertebrates. This belief was due to the size and shape of their snout, scientists thought that because the tomistoma’s snout was so slender, they would have a difficult time eating a heartier meal. However, it turns out that they also consume larger animals such as monkeys, deer, and other reptiles. One first hand account of a tomistoma in the wild stated that the creature was seen to be hunting and eating an entire cow! 

In light of this discovery, the tomistoma is referred to as an “opportunistic carnivore”, attacking and eating anything they can get their snouts on.

The female false gharial lays about 13-35 eggs each reproductive cycle; however, it is not known when exactly the mating season is. The eggs hatch after 90 days and are left to their own devices even before birth; once the mother has built the nest and laid the eggs, she abandons the offspring altogether. The sex of the newborn crocodiles is determined by the temperature of their surroundings.

The name “tomistoma” stems from them having as many as 84 teeth and means “sharp mouth” in Greek. Additionally, the tomistoma has the largest skull out of all the species of living crocodiles; out of the 8 greatest crocodile skulls that are found in museums across the globe, 6 of them belong to the false gharial. The biggest tomistoma skull measured a whopping 33 inches in length.