AHC: Domesticated Alligators/Crocodiles

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

I'm not even sure if this is possible, but I was inspired by this picture.

820-520x329.jpg


How could we get alligators and/or crocodiles domesticated? My assumption is that the biggest problem would be finding a niche where they would be useful. Obviously, they can't be used as pack animals. And their meat kind of sucks, so raising them for food is a no-go. Maybe as an auxiliary in battle? Have a bunch of alligators charge in to soften up the enemy's defenses? What about as guard animals for powerful people? Also, which people would be most likely to attempt such a thing? I have an image in my head of alligators in Seminole warpaint charging headlong into Andrew Jackson's army, but obviously that would be ridiculously convergent.
 

Kalvan

Domesticated predators come in three flavors:

1: Verminators

2: Hunting Companions

3: Herding and Herd-Guarding Animals


What sort of niche would crocodillians have?
 

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

Kalvan said:
Domesticated predators come in three flavors:

1: Verminators

2: Hunting Companions

3: Herding and Herd-Guarding Animals


What sort of niche would crocodillians have?
Click to expand...

Well I can't think of any vermin that a crocodile would go after. And they'd take way too big a chunk out of whatever prey you were hunting. So the last one is probably the most realistic.
 
oshron

oshron

the only thing i can imagine them being useful for is the protection of herd animals on islands, artificial or otherwise. the islands themselves would need to be cut off from the crocodiles so that they don't dip into the herd

if you go for something completely ASB, though, the more terrestrial forms of crocodiles of ages past could persist and be used more efficiently as herding animals
 

Roberto

Alligators can't be domesticated because of their complete lack of social instincts. Animals that live in social structures and thus have brains adapted to understanding social relationships and hierarchy are the ones that have been domesticated, with a few specific exceptions. Alligators are simply not smart enough to be tamed and bred as companions or anything similar. They can be raised to live in certain places to dissuade intruders, but that was done in OTL.
 

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

Roberto said:
Alligators can't be domesticated because of their complete lack of social instincts. Animals that live in social structures and thus have brains adapted to understanding social relationships and hierarchy are the ones that have been domesticated, with a few specific exceptions. Alligators are simply not smart enough to be tamed and bred as companions or anything similar. They can be raised to live in certain places to dissuade intruders, but that was done in OTL.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I have a profound misunderstanding of how genetics works, but couldn't you breed them to have more social behavior by selecting for the characteristics that you want? That's how they created all of the different dog breeds, right?
 

Esopo

Banned
Emperor-of-New-Zealand said:
Dogs are incredibly social animals to begin with, alligators aren't. That's really the end of the story.
Click to expand...

And it took a VERY long time to domesticate dogs. Just look at the difference between the dog (which cooperates with the humans since a long time) and the cat (which is kept as domestic animal since only thousands of years).
The first obeys and recognizes the man like his master...the second one is not much more than a parasite.
 
iori

iori

I really can't imagine any reasons anyone would even try to domesticate them, I mean generally speaking you don't try and domesticate an animal you fear.


Esopo said:
The first obeys and recognizes the man like his master...the second one is not much more than a parasite.
Click to expand...

Hey cats atleast get their own food (if they're not in-door only) where-as dogs are totally dependent on you for it, so if either of them is parasitic its dogs.
 

Esopo

Banned
Iori said:
I really can't imagine any reasons anyone would even try to domesticate them, I mean generally speaking you don't try and domesticate an animal you fear.




Hey cats atleast get their own food (if they're not in-door only) where-as dogs are totally dependent on you for it, so if either of them is parasitic its dogs.
Click to expand...

Well yes. Id say that dogs have a symbiotic relationship with men, because there is always been an exchange. Cats only take, because they have always been pets, not companions useful for practical tasks.
 
iori

iori

Esopo said:
Well yes. Id say that dogs have a symbiotic relationship with men, because there is always been an exchange. Cats only take, because they have always been pets, not companions useful for practical tasks.
Click to expand...

It's more that we took the task cats were kept for away with modern technology and hygiene, though they do still in many urban and suburban environments stilld do what they were domestiated for, namely killing vermin.
 

cortz#9

Hey those things would be perfect for the moat around my castle! Just the security measure I needed. You guys are awesome!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top