Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm interested in whether crocodilians can walk backwards? Any help? Thanks -- Fletcher Dean

and you can always tell when they are doing it because there is a loud beep....beep....beep sound

Actually, they often get themselves into places where to only way out is to throw it in reverse. The early Indians used to construct traps based on that fact. The trap was constructed using stakes to create and "s" shape path in the swamp grass, with an opening to the open water on one side, and a deadhead on the other. At the end was bait that would lead the gator into the trap. When the gator got to the end and couldn't go any further, it would reverse out, but it's tail could't follow the "s" back out and would go between the stakes causing the gator to get hung up. Try as he might, it couldn't direct it's tail to follow the path that would allow it to back out and it would still be there when the Indians came back to check the traps.

Bill