Could an alligator

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Few ground rules to consider:

 

- Stairs are normal steepness, eight or ten steps, 18 inches-or-so wide.

- Regular-sized alligator, six feet long, foot or so wide.

- Hardwood steps (i.e, gator can not gain traction from carpet).

- The gator is not hungry and looking for a meal. The gator is not being baited by anything at the top of the staircase. The gator is not exceptionally lazy.

 

 

 

I maintain that it's not gonna be able to climb due to the shortness of the front claws. A co-worker insists that the low centre of gravity will allow it to keep moving, regardless of terrain. (That may have been lost in translation).

 

Thoughts? There's a weeks worth of coffee (which forseeably will become six beer for me, as I don't drink coffee) on the line.

[Matt Young 0]

I have no answer for you, but I fucking love this topic.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Regular-sized gators run about 12 feet long or so...but even still, I would have to agree with you -- but on the idea that gators aren't flexible enough to bend their appendages in that way.

[vivalaultra 0]

This is one of those questions that should be answered in one of those 'Why Do Men Have Nipples?' books. Personally, I think an alligator could climb a flight of stairs. Consider that an alligator standing on flat ground is able to climb atop a log which is probably about the same height as a single step. If it could do that, I imagine it could go up a stair, but, then again, a log is circular and probably provides better grip than a normal stair, so it might be more difficult. Also, even though the alligator is not exceptionally lazy, maybe climbing up a couple of stairs would tire him (or her) out and he (or she) would not be able to continue. I wonder if there's a definitive answer out there somewhere or if the winner of the bet is just the one that can convince enough yahoos on a message board that his opinion is right.

[Guest Vitamin X]

No, because the steps on the stairs would end too abruptly for the alligator to reach the next stair up. So, it could maybe hop on the first step, but not more than that.

[Mik 0]

I would say it's impossible for exactly what VX said above me. He can get the first step MAYBE but after that, forget it. It doesn't walk in the same way we do, so it can't go foot over foot, so to speak, to get up the stairs.

[Slayer 0]

I think you've got alligators confused with Daleks

[Boon 0]

Thoughts? There's a weeks worth of coffee (which forseeably will become six beer for me, as I don't drink coffee) on the line.

Are you planning on kidnapping an alligator to prove/disprove this? Or is this just a poll thing?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Thoughts? There's a weeks worth of coffee (which forseeably will become six beer for me, as I don't drink coffee) on the line.

Are you planning on kidnapping an alligator to prove/disprove this? Or is this just a poll thing?

 

Just a hypothetical. I'm neither quick, nor stealth, so my kidnapping abilities would be pretty minimal, certainly on something bigger and stronger than me.

 

The fuck is a Dalek?

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I think you're all overlooking the strength of its tail. Considering that a gator can clear thick underbrush and logs and shit, stairs wouldn't be a big deal.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Nature will find a way.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

It smashes through barriers, painfully even dangerously if necessary but......well......there it is.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Right, but you have to take this into account:

 

- The gator is not hungry and looking for a meal. The gator is not being baited by anything at the top of the staircase. The gator is not exceptionally lazy.

 

Without being motivated by prey, you're basically counting on the gator just basically cruising around and going "Hey look, stairs. I can climb these, no problem." Bullshit. He'd have to make a monumental effort to even climb one, and like I said earlier, his body doesn't move the same way that other animals do. Consider that his legs are at the same height as the rest of his body, and that alone proves he can't climb up stores. You need long enough legs that can make a big enough revolution to propel him up to the next stair and beyond. Dogs and cats can barely do it, and have you ever watched a dog with particularly short legs try? It's hilarious, and they stumble through it usually.

 

Can't be done. End of discussion.

[death_by_burrito 0]

Right, but you have to take this into account:

 

- The gator is not hungry and looking for a meal. The gator is not being baited by anything at the top of the staircase. The gator is not exceptionally lazy.

 

Without being motivated by prey, you're basically counting on the gator just basically cruising around and going "Hey look, stairs. I can climb these, no problem." Bullshit.

 

The rest of you're argument was pretty spot on, but your intro right there had me rolling. You win.

[Guest George's Box]

"Cats can barely do it"? Come on, Mr. Baby can clear the staircase faster than people.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah, my mistake actually, I meant to say that dogs and cats with shorter legs. Should've been more specific.

 

Cats don't usually have this problem as much as dogs, since they're incredibly agile.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

The gator could do it with some aid.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

I don't think it could. It's legs would be too short.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

It's not a question of its legs being too short. 8-10 steps would be a total elevation of what, nine or ten feet? These bastards can lunge that and scurry.

 

Snakes and shit can climb trees that are completely vertical.

 

I think what you really want to ask is "Would an alligator climb a flight of stairs?"

[Nighthawk 0]

The answer is no. I'm from Florida. I know. Can? Doesn't matter. Would? No.

[Ravenbomb 0]

Is there a time limit? How long does the 'gator have to climb these hypothetical stairs?

[Guest Why2J]

I think they could climb stairs if they wanted to. Of course, they wouldn't want to...

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Yeah, since there's no motivation for him, the answer is no. If there was food at the top, maybe.

 

But why in the world would an alligator climb stairs with no motivation? He'd look at them, let out a little grunt, and turn around.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Yeah, I guess the question really is would. If it was really could an alligator climb stairs, there should really be a snack for him at the top. Theoretically I think it could, but without that food it wouldn't, which isn't the same as saying it can't...

 

So either change the question to would, or put food at the top of the stairs. You're making my head hurt.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

There's really no reason for him to be climbing these stairs. He's just sort of there.

 

The 'grunt, turn around' theory is kind of flawed. This point is going to begin to turn things in circles, but what's down the stairs that's so much better?

 

Incidentally, I emailed an alligator handler from a farm in Florida to settle things.

[River City Rocker 0]

Who knows?

 

So, let's just contact the guys at MythBusters and they'll figure it out.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Well, apparently I was wrong, according to a quick Google who asked the same question. There's a few testimonials of it in some comments section about a family who shot an alligator at the bottom of some stairs, including this one:

 

Gators can easily climb stairs! I lived in FL and saw pictures of a gator going over a 5ft chain link fence to get the small dog in the yard.

 

I just thought because of the reasons I stated that they wouldn't be able to. I want to see video of this shit. How exactly do they do it?

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

The tail, man, I'm tellin' ya.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

I'm still not sure, but a chain link fence would be easier for them than stairs, I'd imagine.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

This point is going to begin to turn things in circles, but what's down the stairs that's so much better?

 

Flat land? Or is he like on a landing between two sets of stairs?