How fast can an alligator or crocodile run?
The land speed record for a crocodile is 17 kph (10.6 mph) measured in a galloping Australian freshwater crocodile. Maximum speed varies from species to species. Certain types of crocodiles can indeed gallop, including Cuban crocodiles, New Guinea crocodiles, African dwarf crocodiles and even smaller Nile crocodiles. For most species, the fastest they can move is a kind of “belly run,” where the body moves in a snake-like fashion, limbs splayed out to either side paddling away frantically while the tail whips to and fro. Crocodiles can reach speeds of 10 or 11 kph (around 7 mph) when they “belly run,” and often faster if they’re slipping down muddy tidal riverbanks. It is possible for a human to outrun a crocodile; the best way to do so is to run in a straight line rather than zig-zagging back and forth. Another form of locomotion is the “high walk” where the body is raised clear off the ground.
