Do Crocodiles Move Slowly Over Land? Yes Or No?

Crocodiles are powerful ambush predators in the water. On land they look clumsy, which leads many people to think they are always slow.

Do crocodiles move slowly over land? Most of the time, yes. Crocodiles usually walk slowly on land. But in short bursts, some species can trot, gallop or bound. In a 2019 study, the fastest crocodylian measured reached about 4.4 meters per second, roughly 16 km/h (10 mph).

That is fast enough to surprise a person at the water's edge, but crocodiles can only keep it up for short distances.

Below, we look at how crocodiles walk, run and move on land, and how fast do different crocodiles run.

How Fast Can Crocodiles Run On Land?

The best data comes from a 2019 study in Scientific Reports led by John Hutchinson of the Royal Veterinary College. The team filmed 42 crocodylians from 15 species.

Measured speeds ranged from about 0.15 to 4.4 meters per second. The fastest animal was an American crocodile at 4.4 m/s, about 16 km/h. A caiman reached 3.7 m/s while trotting.

Claims of crocodiles running 30 km/h or more are not supported by measurements.

How Fast Can Crocodiles Walk On Land?

Walking is much slower than running. A crocodile's normal "high walk," with its belly lifted off the ground, is a slow, steady gait.

The old claim that crocodiles walk at 10 to 12 km/h is wrong. That would be faster than most people walk.

How Do Crocodiles Move On Land?

Crocodiles use several gaits:

• Belly crawl: sliding on the belly and pushing with the legs, often when slipping down a bank into water.
• High walk: holding the body up on all four legs.
• Trot: a faster, symmetrical gait used by all crocodylians.
• Gallop and bound: fast, leaping gaits used for short bursts.

Only members of the crocodile family were seen galloping or bounding in the study. Seven species did it, including the Nile crocodile and the Australian freshwater crocodile. No alligators or caimans ever galloped or bounded; they trotted instead.

Galloping seems to be most useful for smaller crocodiles. Relative speed declined as body size increased.

Can Crocodiles Beat Humans In Running?

Over open ground, a healthy adult can usually outrun a crocodile, which tires quickly on land. Crocodiles rarely chase people far from water anyway.

The real danger is at the water's edge, where crocodiles ambush prey in a sudden lunge. The safest approach is to stay well back from the water in crocodile country and follow local warning signs.

Do Different Crocodiles Run At Different Speeds?

Yes. Species, body size and age all matter. Smaller, lighter crocodiles tend to be the most athletic, and big adults are relatively slower.

Saltwater and Nile crocodiles are the largest species, but there is no good evidence that they are the fastest runners.

Final Words

Crocodiles usually move slowly on land, but they are not helpless. Some species can gallop at around 16 km/h for a short distance. Their real strength is in the water, so give any crocodile plenty of space near rivers and lakes.

Sources

• Divergent evolution of terrestrial locomotor abilities in extant Crocodylia, Scientific Reports (Hutchinson et al., 2019)