Gliding and parachuting by arboreal salamanders

Christian E Brown; Erik A Sathe; Robert Dudley; Stephen M Deban

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.033

Gliding and parachuting by arboreal salamanders

Curr Biol. 2022 May 23;32(10):R453-R454. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.033.

Authors

Christian E Brown¹, Erik A Sathe², Robert Dudley², Stephen M Deban³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33617, USA. Electronic address: cbrown43@usf.edu.
² Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
³ Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33617, USA.

PMID: 35609538
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.033

Abstract

Wandering salamanders (Aneides vagrans) reside in the crowns of the world's tallest trees and have been observed to readily jump from the canopy when disturbed¹^,². Here, we describe the aerial performance of falling A. vagrans, which maintain stable gliding postures via adjustments of the limbs and tail in lieu of specialized control surfaces. In wind tunnel trials, A. vagrans parachuted consistently and slowed their vertical speed by up to 10% while falling. Furthermore, A. vagrans coupled parachuting with parasagittal undulations of the tail and torso to effect gliding at non-vertical angles (minimum of ∼84°) in 58% of trials. Selection pressures imposed on falling from heights can be substantial, and have resulted in the evolution of diverse aerial behaviors among arboreal taxa; nonetheless, aerial behavior occurring in arboreal salamanders is surprising, and calls for further work on the natural occurrence of falling, gliding, and directed aerial descent in canopy-dwelling tetrapods.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Letter

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Flight, Animal*
Trees
Urodela* / physiology