Najakcharmer
Posts: 2121
Joined: 5/3/2004 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PlayfulOne Oh Please, that would be a neat trick if you could duct tape an alligators "arms and legs" behind their back. They don't streatch that way. You'd be surprised, actually. Crocodilian limbs can do a bit of a rotation trick in order to propel them in the "galloping" gait, which is quite different from their usual mode of locomotion. Aussie freshies seem to be the most frequent "gallopers" from what I've seen, followed by Cuban crocs, but even the species that rarely use the elevated gait have the physical range of motion in their limbs. It's more flexible there than you might imagine just from looking at them. For immobilization, the hind legs are usually "splinted" all the way around the tail. That is well within their range of motion. If the forelimbs need additional restraint, one technique I've seen used is "shackles" where the tape is put around the "wrists", and a length is doubled and passed over the body. The forelimbs are not always restrained; it depends on the method of transport and the length of time of transport. For that matter the hind limbs don't always need to be restrained for transport either. Head bagging, jaw taping and eye taping is usually quite sufficient. Some pressure on the animal's back seems to help too; it appears to be a behavioral trigger for them since dominant animals will use their weight in this manner to make another croc submit. quote:
Now do you actually believe for a moment the duct tape is harming an alligators skin? They hold their mouths shut because their power is in the closing not the opening, whether they do it with rope, those big rubber bands they use, or duct tape doesn't matter. Duct tape can and does cause abrasions on crocodilian skin, which is why black electrical tape is more common for repeated use, especially on smaller (under 8') captive animals. If you leave any tape or band on for more than a few hours, you will cause pressure necrosis and skin sloughing. This effect tends to be more pronounced with duct tape than electrical tape. The duration can be extended somewhat by using other materials as padding in addition to the tape, but if you attempt to ship a crocodilian overnight with tape on, the vet is pretty much guaranteed to have a job at the other end. Bad idea. So yes, duct tape can certainly harm an alligator's skin if improperly applied or if left on for more than a few hours.
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