# If I kick an alligator\* in it's nuts... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627 "2019-11-18T21:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/1 "2019-11-18T21:15:31Z")
…will he be temporarily incapacitated just as I would be if he were to kick me in mine? [\*or any other non-human testicle-bearing creature.] ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/2 "2019-11-18T21:17:59Z")
“Its” nuts. (Dammit!) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/3 "2019-11-18T21:21:42Z")
For most non-mammal creatures, kicking them in the nuts is going to be a lot more difficult, because their nuts are inside of their body with all of their other potentially-vulnerable organs. It’s only us mammals that have them hanging out and relatively exposed. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/4 "2019-11-18T21:26:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For most non-mammal creatures, kicking them in the nuts is going to be a lot more difficult, because their nuts are inside of their body with all of their other potentially-vulnerable organs. It’s only us mammals that have them hanging out and relatively exposed. So, if I kick a mouse in “the right place” will it double over in pain? (Only being semi-facetious) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/5 "2019-11-18T21:27:09Z")
Username/OP combo! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/6 "2019-11-18T21:33:08Z")
Alligators don’t have “nuts,” if what you mean by this are external testes like mammals. The testes are contained within the body cavity, and not exposed. The reason that most mammals carry their testes in an external scrotum is because spermatogenesis requires a body temperature a couple of degrees below the core body temperature of most mammals. Having them in an external pouch allows their temperature to be adjusted by how close they are held to the body. Reptiles and amphibians are “cold blooded,” and their core body temperature is often below that of mammals, so spermatogenesis is not not inhibited. They don’t need to expose their testes outside the body. Birds, which are warm-blooded like mammals, have a different strategy and are able to carry out spermatogenesis at their core body temperature, which is even higher than that of mammals. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/7 "2019-11-18T21:47:27Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Alligators don’t have “nuts,” if what you mean by this are external testes like mammals. The testes are contained within the body cavity, and not exposed. … Pedantic details aside, the correct term for non-existent crocodilian testes are cronuts, as in ‘Sorry, we’re out of cronuts, would you like a muffin\* instead?’ - a puffin’s pubic region ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/8 "2019-11-18T22:10:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Alligators don’t have “nuts,” if what you mean by this are external testes like mammals. The testes are contained within the body cavity, and not exposed. > > The reason that most mammals carry their testes in an external scrotum is because spermatogenesis requires a body temperature a couple of degrees below the core body temperature of most mammals. Having them in an external pouch allows their temperature to be adjusted by how close they are held to the body. > > Reptiles and amphibians are “cold blooded,” and their core body temperature is often below that of mammals, so spermatogenesis is not not inhibited. They don’t need to expose their testes outside the body. > > Birds, which are warm-blooded like mammals, have a different strategy and are able to carry out spermatogenesis at their core body temperature, which is even higher than that of mammals. Thank you. I kind of knew that stuff in a broad sense but was still curious if any other creatures experienced especially great pain when struck in the “jelly beans.” ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/9 "2019-11-18T22:12:35Z")
Need answer fast? ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/10 "2019-11-18T22:19:37Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Pedantic details aside, the correct term for non-existent crocodilian testes are cronuts, as in ‘Sorry, we’re out of cronuts, would you like a muffin\* instead?’ > > - a puffin’s pubic region Crocojones, surely? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/11 "2019-11-18T22:20:58Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > So, if I kick a mouse in “the right place” will it double over in pain? (Only being semi-facetious) I don’t know for sure about mice, but based on what happened to my male pet gerbil when he pissed off the female pet gerbil I’d have to say “yes”. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/12 "2019-11-18T22:26:05Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I don’t know for sure about mice, but based on what happened to my male pet gerbil when he pissed off the female pet gerbil I’d have to say “yes”. Don’t leave us hangin’. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/13 "2019-11-18T22:40:19Z")
Rats have absolutely enormous testicles, but I’ve never seen one of my rats appear to be suffering pain due to trauma to his testicles. Maybe they’re just really careful. I sure would be if my balls were the size of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/14 "2019-11-18T22:50:21Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Thank you. I kind of knew that stuff in a broad sense but was still curious if any other creatures experienced especially great pain when struck in the “jelly beans.” Since without them you’re out of the gene pool, a good way for natural selection to provide male animals with strong motivation to protect the boys from harm is by making it excruciatingly painful if you don’t. For this reason, while I don’t know of a great deal of research on this subject, I would imagine that most male mammals are as well equipped with nerve endings and pain receptors as humans are. While most male mammals keep their testes on the outside, monotremes and a group known as the [Afrotheres, including elephants, manatees, hyraxes,](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earliest-mammals-kept-their-cool-descended-testicles-180969476/) and a few small shrew like groups have internal testes. The testes don’t descend but stay up near the kidneys. In some others, including marine mammals like whales and seals, the testes descend into the lower abdomen but are not exposed in a scrotum. The yapok, or water opossum, has a unique adaptation. It is the only marsupial in which the male has a pouch. Instead of being used to carry offspring, the male tucks his genitalia including penis and testes into it when he goes swimming. ---
**Author:** ![KMS94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ad7895/32.png) [@KMS94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KMS94)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/15 "2019-11-19T01:11:51Z")
The bear in this Youtube video, caught tearing apart a water station on a trail cam, gets himself pretty good at :22. There is a visible result in the bear… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kjY9sKdHlY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kjY9sKdHlY) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/16 "2019-11-19T08:30:18Z")
[Previous discussion.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675274) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/17 "2019-11-19T12:57:40Z")
_If I kick an alligator in it’s nuts…_\* This sounds like the title of the sadistic sequel to **If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…** ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/18 "2019-11-19T13:07:29Z")
If you’re really going to walk right up to a full grown alligator and kick him, let me know first because I want to watch and see what he does to you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/19 "2019-11-19T13:38:02Z")
_If I kick an alligator in it’s nuts…_\* Afterwards, you have to help the guy with the sore tooth. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627/20 "2019-11-19T14:58:01Z")
I once had an unleashed dog stand up and put its paws on my shoulders. I slammed my knee into his testicles, and the dog went down, crying in pain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-kick-an-alligator-in-its-nuts/843627.md?page=2)