• saltesc@lemmy.world
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    19 days 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.

  • Tyfud@lemmy.world
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    19 days 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
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      19 days 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
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        19 days 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
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          19 days 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.

        • stoicmaverick@lemmy.world
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          19 days ago

          They can only do that for about half of one body length though. It’s not really a run, so much as a spring forward to surprise something with their murder mouth, and then pull it back into the water.

          • Tyfud@lemmy.world
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            19 days ago

            No, sorry, that’s not true. And another one.

            TL;DR;

            They can run 35mph in that short sprint you’re talking about. Then they can run at a slower (though faster than most humans) pace for a sustained period of roughly 100 feet (30ish meters for the non-'mericans).