Living in the tops of the tallest trees in the world must be pretty dizzying. If you are not alone salamander. They are not afraid because they have a surefire trick in case they have to run: a body that turns into a parachute Immediately.
This is the conclusion of a study recently published in Current biology from scientists at the University of South Florida. In it, they used a wind tunnel into which they dropped several samples. arboreal or non-arboreal salamanders from a low height. It was far more ethical and easier than pushing them off the tops of the redwoods where some of them live.
Thus, they confirmed that although salamanders do not have any structure that appears to serve as a parachute, they are able to shape their body to glide just as if they were clinging to it. This is a very interesting find, which not only spawned a very beautiful video. It also shows that animals have more tools than we think. survive a fall from a great height. There may be many others for whom we have not even imagined it.
Wind tunnel imitating sequoias
wandering salamanders (Aneides vagabonds) are commonly found in redwood crowns in Canada and the United States. Some of these trees can exceed 100 meters in heighttherefore they are known as the highest in the world.
Although they are comfortable being a little closer to the sky than most land animals, sometimes they can feel so threatened that they have no choice but to jump into the void. If we did, it would be certain death. Unless we had a parachute, of course.
Sequoias can reach over 100 meters in height.
With this in mind, the authors of the just-published study decided to test whether these salamanders have structures that function like parachutesyes so they prepared vertical wind tunnelin which the fall of the crown of trees, such as sequoias, is simulated.
Prepared specimens of arboreal and non-arboreal salamanders were placed in it and thrown. Unlike trees, height was not lethal, so there was no danger to the salamanders. But they could also see what his trick was to survive the fall from the top of the redwoods.
Improvised salamander parachute
In the case of tree salamanders Falling speed reduced by 10% from the moment they pulled out their makeshift parachute. Basically the difference between surviving a fall or dying from one.
It wasn’t a gimmick, just a few moves very appropriate to the occasion. amphibians extended legs and tail so they can soar like we humans do when we skydive. But without any additional elements.
Fall rate reduced by 10% while gliding.
This is not the first time arboreal animals have been seen from ability to plan. For example, this is typical for some proteins. However, the physique of salamanders did not suggest that they had this ability. Thus, this result encourages its authors to continue their search.
Finally, changing of the climate will increasingly deplete the ecosystems of these and other animals, so it is vital to understand how they function in the environment. This is the best way to protect them without changing their lifestyle more than global warming.
Source: Hiper Textual
