How fast can a crocodile run?

6 Answers

• It varies from species to species on the speed of a running Crocodile, but it is generally put at 10mph. Fit Humans can go about 12mph so you should be able to run from them, but it is doubtful they will chase you.

  So in this case no a Crocodile can’t outrun a Motorcycle.

  However Cheetahs being able to reach 70mph and sometimes greater, can accelerate from 0-60mph in 3 seconds. They acheive strides of 25 feet, and do 3 full strides at full tilt in 1 second, and when running flat out only 1 foot is ever touching the ground sometimes none. They can reach these speeds and acceleration due to it’s aerodynamic body, lightness, they can’t retract there claws so they are always providing grip, they have enlarged lungs, and nostrils, and heart for faster delivery of oxygen to the body. They also have a long rudder like tail to provide very good stability at high speeds when turning and lose no speed in turns, it also allows them to turn sharply. They got long legs to allow for the large strides.

  In the case of a Cheetah it can accelerate faster then most sports cars, an sport bikes (crotch rockets).

• No, a human can outrun a crocodile if he sees it coming. It can attack swiftly when you don’t know it’s there.

  “How fast can a crocodile run?

  This is another popular question, and true to form it generates enough popular myth and misconceptions to fill the stomach of a large Deinosuchus. Running crocodiles evoke images of slavering reptiles chasing people down for lunch, and there are some wild figures that are often quoted – speeds over 40 mph are regularly quoted by some books, television documentaries and enthusiastic tour-guides. Don’t be misled! Crocodiles have unique ways of getting around, but let’s be realistic and look at this properly.

  The truth is, if you see a crocodile running towards you then it’s easy enough to evade. It’s when you don’t see it coming that you’re in danger! A crocodile’s greatest strength is not its endurance and stamina on land, but it’s ability to launch a surprise attack when you’re least expecting it. In other words, crocodiles cannot afford to give their prey the chance to flee – fleeing prey (on land at least) is normally dinner lost.

  Never under-estimate the attacking speed of crocodile from a standing start, and never under-estimate how fast they can move when running away from you!

  Most crocodiles can achieve speeds of around 12 to 14 kph for short periods, which is somewhat slower than a fit human can run. Don’t believe the hype – if you’re reasonably fit, you can definitely outrun a crocodile! Even faster are galloping crocodiles, and Australian freshwater crocodiles have been clocked at just over 17 kph over distances of perhaps 20 to 30 metres before they begin to tire.

  So they are much slower than a cheetah or a motorcycle. Cheetahs can outrun a racehorse, but not a motorcycle.

  “When they move at a great speed, they cover 20 to 22 feet on one stride. They have hard and sharp claws which give them great traction when they move at a great speed. Generally they move faster than the fastest racehorse.”

• Crocodile Speed

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  How fast can a crocodile run?

  And can it go faster than a motorcycle?

  Can a cheetah go faster than a motorcycle?

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• How fast can a crocodile run?

  This is another popular question, and true to form it generates enough popular myth and misconceptions to fill the stomach of a large Deinosuchus. Running crocodiles evoke images of slavering reptiles chasing people down for lunch, and there are some wild figures that are often quoted – speeds over 40 mph are regularly quoted by some books, television documentaries and enthusiastic tour-guides. Don’t be misled! Crocodiles have unique ways of getting around, but let’s be realistic and look at this properly.

  The truth is, if you see a crocodile running towards you then it’s easy enough to evade. It’s when you don’t see it coming that you’re in danger! A crocodile’s greatest strength is not its endurance and stamina on land, but it’s ability to launch a surprise attack when you’re least expecting it. In other words, crocodiles cannot afford to give their prey the chance to flee – fleeing prey (on land at least) is normally dinner lost.

  Never under-estimate the attacking speed of crocodile from a standing start, and never under-estimate how fast they can move when running away from you! Read on…

  There are three main “gaits” (styles of locomotion) that describe how crocodilians get around on land. The “belly crawl” is typically a fairly slow gait in which the crocodile slides over a slippery substrate such as mud, using its legs to push itself along on its belly. However, this gait can be modified to shift that bulky body at impressively high speeds, normally away from a threat. “Belly run” becomes a more appropriate description of this faster gait, where the legs still operate on either side of the body rather than from underneath it.

  The next gait is the “high walk” (left), which is uniquely crocodilian – resembling the erect gait of a mammal with the legs directly underneath the animal, rather than the splayed gait of a reptile. This is a slow means of getting around, but it is very useful for picking the bulky body off the floor to negotiate obstacles or to avoid the friction induced by scraping the belly against non-slippery substrates such as soil or rock. The high walk is normally used for short distances, but long-distances hikes are quite possible. You can see a video of a high walk here (hit the “BACK” button in your browser when you’re done).

  When moving quickly away from a threat, crocodilians employ one of two methods on land. The first is the faster “belly run” which I’ve already mentioned, in which the legs move very rapidly in a typically reptilian pattern to propel the crocodile forward. During this belly run, the crocodile starts to move its body in a sinusoidal manner along the horizontal plane, almost as if it were swimming. This flexion adds power to the stride by helping to position the limbs for the greatest leverage when they contact the ground. The power of the body torsion contributes to the power of the stride. It also enables the crocodile to transition quickly into a swimming style once it begins to enter the water.

  The second rapid locomotory gait on land is called “galloping” (left). The form of this gallop is quite unique, with front and hind limbs moving as synchronous pairs. As a result, the crocodile bounds almost like a rabbit – hind legs moving together to push the animal forwards and into the air, and then the body bending so the front legs absorb the impact, while the hind legs move forward for the next bound. This style of running has been seen in a several species (Australian freshwater crocodile, New Guinea crocodile, Nile crocodile, American crocodile, Cuban crocodile, African dwarf crocodile) although it is more common in smaller individuals of these species. Other species, even under extreme stress, simply resort to a rapid belly run which is significantly slower than a gallop except over mud. Galloping is used primarily as an escape response on firm ground, and enables the animal to leap over low obstacles as it heads towards the water. However, a few boisterous individuals (eg. Cuban crocodiles, Australian freshwater crocodiles) have been known to attack a threat by galloping towards it – quite an intimidating experience! You can see several videos of galloping here (hit “BACK” in your browser when you’ve finished to return here).

  So, now you have an idea of how crocodiles can run. But how quickly can they run? Most crocodiles can achieve speeds of around 12 to 14 kph for short periods, which is somewhat slower than a fit human can run. Don’t believe the hype – if you’re reasonably fit, you can definitely outrun a crocodile! Even faster are galloping crocodiles, and Australian freshwater crocodiles have been clocked at just over 17 kph over distances of perhaps 20 to 30 metres before they begin to tire. In these cases, the crocodile is running away from a threat – only certain extinct species of terrestrial crocodyliforms regularly hunted using a similar gait, which perhaps explains its origins.

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