Alligators have a powerful bite, but their jaw muscles are relatively weak. Their bite force can reach up to 3,000 pounds per square inch (PSI), which is stronger than a lion’s bite (600 PSI) and much stronger than a human’s (120 PSI). However, alligators’ jaw muscles aren’t strong enough to open their mouths, so a human can hold their jaws closed with a hand or rubber band.
Alligators can also run up to 35 miles per hour on land and swim up to 20 miles per hour, but they can’t maintain their top speed for long. They can only sprint for about 100 feet, and baby alligators tire out even faster than adults. If you encounter an alligator on land, you can probably outrun it if you keep running in a straight line for a few minutes.
Charles R
I had no idea they could run a very short sprint at 35 mph. Really. This is 8 mph faster than Usain Bolt.