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> assuming that the particular alligators in question aren’t too heavy, they are definitely capable of climbing trees, and they actually do this pretty frequent

> assuming that the particular alligators in question aren’t too heavy, they are definitely capable of climbing trees, and they actually do this pretty frequently. That's terrifying

masklinn 3y ago
IIRC there’s fossil evidence that Australia used to have small—ish terrestrial and tree-dwelling crocs.
- worthless-trash 3y ago
  There is an actual tree climbing kangaroo that most Australians don't even know about. I wonder if thats why the crocs started climbing trees ;)
  - foobarian 3y ago
    To eat the kangaroo or escape from it? :-)
    - worthless-trash 3y ago
      Probably bit of both ;)
  - chrisco255 3y ago
    Oh what about the infamous drop bears?
    - masklinn 3y ago
      There's Nimbadon. Though it's a Diprotodontidae (a "giant wombat").
nkozyra 3y ago
Here in Florida, I've seen larger alligators trying to climb and scale things, and I'd say it becomes pretty unlikely way before they're at a size to be a threat to an adult human. They also need a pretty generous ramp, so the idea of one climbing up an oak tree after you is likely impossible. The linked image shows a gator in a felled branch, which happens frequently in rivers and marshes when they're sunning. That's not the kind of "tree" you'd use to, say, escape from an alligator.
- chrisco255 3y ago
  Here's a 7 footer climbing a chainlink fence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DMjQJD7vM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DMjQJD7vM A 5 or so footer doing the same thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbq3ymZkfVc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbq3ymZkfVc And another massive gator that just bends a metal fence like it's Play-doh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67hsRXcLjA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67hsRXcLjA That being said, a fit human being is definitely going to be a much better climber than a gator. And it's extremely rare they ever go after full size adults (kids are more at risk).
  - toss1 3y ago
    >>Gator breaks through a brand new iron fence! Yup, he's just trying to go along his regular path from one watering hole to another, and somebody puts up a damn fence! What's a gator to do? Over, under, or through!
  - nkozyra 3y ago
    I've seen some fail pretty hard on the fences, but I also think they're good climbing options for gators. I was walking one night and saw ~8-9ft one about 20 ft up the road so I obviously stopped walking that way. It was going for a 3-4 ft concrete wall and just kept flopping and falling over repeatedly. I hung out for a while to see if it ever beat the tiny little wall, but nope. Just kept hitting the concrete.

> assuming that the particular alligators in question aren’t too heavy, they are definitely capable of climbing trees, and they actually do this pretty frequently. That's terrifying

masklinn 3y ago

IIRC there’s fossil evidence that Australia used to have small—ish terrestrial and tree-dwelling crocs.

worthless-trash 3y ago
There is an actual tree climbing kangaroo that most Australians don't even know about. I wonder if thats why the crocs started climbing trees ;)
- foobarian 3y ago
  To eat the kangaroo or escape from it? :-)
  - worthless-trash 3y ago
    Probably bit of both ;)
- chrisco255 3y ago
  Oh what about the infamous drop bears?
  - masklinn 3y ago
    There's Nimbadon. Though it's a Diprotodontidae (a "giant wombat").

nkozyra 3y ago

Here in Florida, I've seen larger alligators trying to climb and scale things, and I'd say it becomes pretty unlikely way before they're at a size to be a threat to an adult human. They also need a pretty generous ramp, so the idea of one climbing up an oak tree after you is likely impossible. The linked image shows a gator in a felled branch, which happens frequently in rivers and marshes when they're sunning. That's not the kind of "tree" you'd use to, say, escape from an alligator.

chrisco255 3y ago
Here's a 7 footer climbing a chainlink fence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DMjQJD7vM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DMjQJD7vM A 5 or so footer doing the same thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbq3ymZkfVc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbq3ymZkfVc And another massive gator that just bends a metal fence like it's Play-doh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67hsRXcLjA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67hsRXcLjA That being said, a fit human being is definitely going to be a much better climber than a gator. And it's extremely rare they ever go after full size adults (kids are more at risk).
- toss1 3y ago
  >>Gator breaks through a brand new iron fence! Yup, he's just trying to go along his regular path from one watering hole to another, and somebody puts up a damn fence! What's a gator to do? Over, under, or through!
- nkozyra 3y ago
  I've seen some fail pretty hard on the fences, but I also think they're good climbing options for gators. I was walking one night and saw ~8-9ft one about 20 ft up the road so I obviously stopped walking that way. It was going for a 3-4 ft concrete wall and just kept flopping and falling over repeatedly. I hung out for a while to see if it ever beat the tiny little wall, but nope. Just kept hitting the concrete.