Crocodiles are up there with sharks on humans' list of the scariest animals to encounter, and now new research has confirmed that these terrifying creatures can and do climb trees!
The study was conducted by Vladimir Dinets and a group of his colleagues from the University of Tennessee. They studied crocodiles in Australia, Africa and North America. What was discovered was that four types of the species can climb trees, but are shy about doing so.
The reptiles would move quickly, and the smaller ones could climb faster, and if they knew they were being watched they would quickly dive into the water. But why would the water-dwelling species climb a tree?
Crocodiles need to constantly regulate their body temperature, and a tree can be a haven to get some sun, especially if there is not enough land. The height also gives the animals a great viewing point to watch for prey and to protect themselves from enemies.
The beasts have even been seen to climb as high as 32 feet, so if you ever see a crocodile, think twice before you climb a tree to escape. One of the scariest animals in the world just got a little more fearsome with this research that confirms that they can climb, and have more skills then we thought.