Seeking Sobek: Try looking up

Sobek   (by Jeff Dahl)

If you wish to worship the ancient Egyptian crocodile god Sobek, try doing so with your neck craned upward.  According to Barbara Liston of Reuters, you just might

have more luck (and longevity) that way.

It turns out that these gnarly old critters - the likes of which seem perfectly suited to water and land only - can shimmy up trees faster than the blink of a terrified eye.

Liston explains that there have been documented reports of crocs climbing six feet high, and anecdotal reports of them reaching 30 feet.

Although crocodiles seems to lack the climbing apparatuses that, say, monkeys have – what they lack in foot and toe structure, they more than make up for in

agility and persistence.  Those that can't take the express route straight up the tree can instead wind their way around incremental branches.

Now this may be great news for Sobek devotees who are seeking his fierce protection.  As for the rest of us, tropical treetops aren't looking quite as soothing as they used to…

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobek

http://news.yahoo.com/crocodiles-climb-trees-researchers-200810911.html

Copyright February 18, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved