How Fast Can Bigfoot Run?

[Guest tirademan]

OK, here's a few more that mention speed, running on all fours, and a couple of agility.

50mph! kph? And you have to love a "rabid otter" running along side a car.

tirademan

[bipedalist]

I had a hairless, gutless, rabid weasel once in the office.....err, wait a minute

that was the old boss......

Edited May 8, 2012 by bipedalist

[JDL]

I'd like to point out that not only does bigfoot have suitable musculature, limb length, an perhaps foot structure to achieve and maintain impressive movement rates, but their physiology is such that they can sustain the energy levels necessary to power their drive trains. Higher blood volume would provide for larger glucose (blood sugar) reserves. A larger liver would store greater amounts of glycogen for the second wind, and much larger lungs (perhaps double or more the volume of the human lung) enable it to more efficiently supply oxygen to its cells, perhaps at a rate that staves off fatigue far longer than is possible for the average human. The fastest car in the world requires an efficient engine to power it and a sufficient fuel to air ratio to ensure that the potential energy from fuel is maximized.

[Cotter]

Wait, some of those articles are from like 1800's...

When was the morris suit invented? And how many of these suckers did he sell?

;-)

[Guest BFSleuth]

tirademan, as always you have a fount of information with those old news stories. In particular the last one mentions strides of 20' to 23' at a dead run. That's a pretty good long jump for a high school boy. It also supports the concept that they have a pretty springy stride and can move very fast.

[Guest SquatchinNY]

I read a report once where a person in a truck was being parallelled, and he sped up to 80mph. THAT is far fetched.

There is a report from the Blackfeet reservation in

Montana where y a foot chases a car down a mountain along several tight turns &eventuly cut the couple off --headed them off at the pass. Would have taken considerable speed.

Could you find me a link for that?

[bipedalist]

Only if BF slowed down to 80 mph to pace him, lol.

Nope couldn't find the link..... maybe it was the Flathead reservation.... in Montana.... or maybe another indian rez in another state.

Edited May 8, 2012 by bipedalist

[Guest OntarioSquatch]

I would like to throw in that being chased 30mph through trees is different from being chased from a flat surface. So, I think it could go 40 on a flat surface if it's going 30 in the trees.

Edited May 8, 2012 by OntarioSquatch

[Guest thermalman]

Here's a chart for those who are interested.......... http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0004737.html

Edited May 9, 2012 by thermalman

[Guest]

If we are to believe General of The Sierra Kills fame, they are as fast as a wild pig. I recall he estimated 40 mph in the Sierra Kills thread.

[Guest FuriousGeorge]

Tontar, that was a great post. I don't want you to get me wrong, but there is a major problem with the theory. I like the padding idea a lot, but not the reason provided.

When you said " It would allow bigfoot to fit in with the vast majority of other land animals, and not be some unique, one off, almost alien design."... and... "That kind of foot would make logical sense to me. A normal, traditional, vastly common foot structure, with an also fairly common heavy amount of padding in the sole."

The animals that you are comparing bf's locomotion to are either and mostly digitigrade (walk on toes) and unguligrade (walks on nails). Most primates are plantigrade (sole/heel). Bears may have padding but they are also plantigrade. I would expect bf to follow the evolutionary path of primates.... no? I think a bf foot like a hippo might still not be of alien design, but it would be messed up looking.

[Guest Tontar]

I wasn't ptoposing that a bigfoot foot would be a toe walker like an elephant or hippo, I only used those as an example of how great a weight could be supported on feet that did not have flat bone configurations. It was stated that an arch might be hard to maintain for such a heavy beast as bigfoot. The elephant and hippo are examples that contradict that assumption, so an arch in a bigfoot could easily be maintained, especially if there was a supporting amount of tissue under the arch.

And tell me that a BF with a hinged foot that is shaped like a human foot would likewise not be messed up looking.

I'd like to point out that not only does bigfoot have suitable musculature, limb length, an perhaps foot structure to achieve and maintain impressive movement rates, but their physiology is such that they can sustain the energy levels necessary to power their drive trains. Higher blood volume would provide for larger glucose (blood sugar) reserves. A larger liver would store greater amounts of glycogen for the second wind, and much larger lungs (perhaps double or more the volume of the human lung) enable it to more efficiently supply oxygen to its cells, perhaps at a rate that staves off fatigue far longer than is possible for the average human. The fastest car in the world requires an efficient engine to power it and a sufficient fuel to air ratio to ensure that the potential energy from fuel is maximized.

To me, this is a perfect example of reverse engineering bigfoot to fit a preconceived notion of what they should be like. Giving bigfoot desired characteristics, and then manufacturing biology to achieve those characteristics. Let's see, let's give bigfoot a larger liver so it can store greater amounts of glycogen. And then we'll make sure it has lungs big enough to stave off fatigue. And then we'll install a greater blood volume so they can have more glucose reserves. That is bigfoot by design, not bigfoot by nature, and certainly not bigfoot by evidence.

[Guest FuriousGeorge]

Yeah a hinged foot would be messed up looking. lol They might even squeak on the older ones.

I do like the idea of an arch with padding. I've never been too keen on the "if other animals can do it" explanations (personal preference I suppose). I'm guilty of being stuck in a linear primate evolution to locomotion rut. Your theory would be new to primates, but so would many others things if bf was found, so you may be on to something. If that theory is proven to be true I will give you the credit, but I call dibs on bioluminescent innards.

[Guest Transformer]

I had a hairless, gutless, rabid weasel once in the office.....err, wait a minute

that was the old boss......

Thank you I really needed that laugh!

[Guest MikeG]

........... a Giraffe's top speed being around only 33mph........

Which is pretty remarkable when you consider how they move. They are absolutely unique on the planet in that they move with a gait used by no other creature. Both legs on the same side of their body move forward at the same time, whatever speed they are moving. Both lefts then both rights etc.......It always amazes me that they don't fall over with such an odd gait, which was clearly not selected for its speed advantage! They appear to rock backwards and forwards rather than walk or run.

Mike