The salamander specializes in parachuting from the tallest tree in the world
The researchers found that wandering salamanders can safely jump from trees as tall as a persimmon to the ground by controlling their body movements.
The salamander parachute in the wind tunnel. Video: University of South Florida
The wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans) lives on some of the tallest trees in the world. They specialize in jumping down when disturbed. The scientists reported on this salamander’s behavior in the journal Current Biology on May 23, 2022. They rely on a human-like posture when skydiving to help slow and control the fall.
“Although hundreds of species of lungless salamanders can climb, their aerial behavior is rarely described,” said Christian Brown, a doctoral student at the University of South Florida. “Our study of aerial behavior reveals tree-dwelling salamanders, especially wandering salamanders, that rely on parachuting and jabs to slow down and navigate their fall.”
While working with wandering salamanders at Humboldt University, Brown found that they readily jumped from his hand or a spruce branch and began to parachute. He wanted to find out how this airborne behavior plays out in nature.
In the new study, Brown and colleagues including Erik Sathe, Robert Dudley, and Stephen Deban describe the aerial behavior of wandering salamanders, in which they maintain a stable flight posture by manipulating their legs and tails. In the wind tunnel experiment, salamanders parachute and reduce their vertical fall speed by 10%. They also combine skydiving with the undulating motion of the tail and torso for effective hurling at non-vertical angles.
According to Brown, wandering salamanders are particularly adept and seem to instinctively deploy a parachute posture when exposed to air currents. Not only do they slow themselves down, but they also control the swaying motion to keep the body upright, handle bends and roll sideways. This level of aerial control was beyond the team’s expectations.
The most remarkable thing, Brown shared, is that salamanders don’t need skin membranes to parachute. He hopes the discovery will spark interest in this unique animal. Next, the team will use computerized fluid dynamics modeling and 3D reconstruction software to determine how salamanders generate lift.
An Khang (Follow Sci Tech Daily)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
