435
GRIZZLODILE (mander.xyz)
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] saltesc@lemmy.world 81 points 2 months ago

Not to alarm anyone, but unless you're doing the 100m in around 11s or less, current large crocodiles are still faster than you. But if you're fit enough to keep the speed going, you should outlast them over short enough distance.

And if you can't do any of that, well you'll have to run lateral to it and hope your agility out maneouvers them.

[-] Artyom@lemm.ee 49 points 2 months ago

Mythbusters tested whether it was better to zig zag or run straight away from a gator. Turns out, it doesn't matter, gators won't chase you.

[-] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 27 points 2 months ago

They've spent hundreds of millions of years sitting in lakes waiting for food to step in their mouths. They deserve to be called sloths more than actual sloths.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[-] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 10 points 2 months ago

Or that you have the adequate weapons on you, the knowledge and physical ability to use them properly.

[-] SomeAmateur@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

chootem inna hed nah boa!

[-] misterundercoat@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Serpentine!

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 53 points 2 months ago

Just so ya know, a regular modern day crocodile can also outrun you on land.

[-] thann@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 2 months ago

Yeah, but only because I'm American

[-] Dicska@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago

Yeah but I would easily beat him in hurdles.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This is true. Or running serpentine:

"He only has a brain the size of a walnut."

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Don't even get me started on the pole vault

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago

A mighty steed!

You cannot prove that humans didn't ride these into battle.

[-] Tyfud@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago

Alligators can already outrun a person on land.

They just choose not to. Because they're lazy and they don't like running after their prey.

I suspect the same was probably true of whatever it was we killed off back then too.

[-] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Flat solid land? Nah, person wins on any distance over a few feet.

Through brush and marsh? Nobody beats the gator.

[-] Tyfud@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

That's not true. And another one.

TL;DR;

They can run up to 35mph over short (20-30ft) distances. Then they can run at a slightly slower (though faster than most humans) pace for a sustained period of roughly 100 feet (30ish meters for the non-'mericans).

In every scenario they can and will catch every human on earth except an Olympic sprinter. And even then, it wouldn't be a comfortable race for them.

The reason they don't chase you down and eat you on land, is because they've evolved to be ambush predators from water transitions to land. They are lazy. Simple as that. And their food comes to them in most cases. Why would they want to spend all those calories just to maybe get a un-tasty human? They conserve energy so they can perform several ambush attempts for prey, rather than one long chase.

In the end, their current approach gets them more calories for the efforts, which is why they've evolved that way.

But they can, on paper, absolutely wipe the floor with you in a sprint over solid, flat land. For 100 feet.

[-] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

You should try reading your source...

"Experts say the American alligator’s top running speed clocks in at 11mph."

I a fat outta shape slouch, but I think in a life or death situation I could manage 11mph for a few minutes.

Sure they can burst a good bit of speed, but that 20-30 ft sprint mostly comes from them lunging with all 4 legs and their tail as hard as they can and then maybe 1 or 2 more lunges and some scrabbling.

It's mainly a matter of weight and gait. They got stubby little side protruding legs and they weight a ton incomparison to their leg musculature. They can high walk for a good distance, and they can gallop, but only for a few steps.

[-] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

Usain Bolt's fastest recorded speed is 27.79 mph.

Unless you can dust the fastest man on Earth in a footrace, you're gonna be a snack.

load more comments (1 replies)

Not a lot of people can run 11mph for any distance, though.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 32 points 2 months ago

Fun fact, the reason dragons appear in literally every culture that developed language came from people surviving horrific encounters with enormous crocodiles.

[-] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 months ago
[-] Uruanna@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

But is that a fact

(it's not)

[-] expatriado@lemmy.world 25 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

hairy crocodile? artistic liberty?

[-] lunarul@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

Looks like they photoshopped a crocodile onto a bear

[-] expatriado@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

lol, i wasn't paying attention clearly

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

Gee, I wonder why those died out.

[-] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago

Yeah, who are they calling apex predator, take a look around.

[-] pdxfed@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

More like ape-ex amirite

[-] UraniumBlazer@lemm.ee 18 points 2 months ago
[-] DwjsrIyx@lemmynsfw.com 10 points 2 months ago

Yes but only once

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 6 points 2 months ago

Sure, li'l buddy! He's coming quick, so I'm just going to run over there to take a picture.

[-] TriPolarBearz@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Yes, first you pet them on the outside, then you pet them on the inside.

[-] Zip2@feddit.uk 15 points 2 months ago

Steve Irwin would still have fed them.

[-] blackwateropeth@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago

Oh shit, sadam is that you?

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 13 points 2 months ago

Crocodoggo! 😍

[-] Elgenzay@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 months ago
[-] Num10ck@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago
[-] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago

All those "dragon types" charts you see call this a drake. I don't really get that because drakes are ducks.

[-] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

But according to those charts, ducks are wyverns...

[-] penguinsAreRapists@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago
[-] fossilesque@mander.xyz 6 points 2 months ago

Be the change you want to see.

[-] penguinsAreRapists@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago

I can barely take care of myself

[-] g_g@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago

it looks so cute tho

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

invents bazooka

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
435 points (98.2% liked)

Science Memes

11414 readers
1027 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS