Arboreal acrobatics: How some salamanders jump, glide, and stick the landing (and why it matters)

High in the crowns of the world’s tallest trees, arboreal salamanders jump, parachute, and glide from limb to limb. Interestingly, they also rapidly fill, trap, and drain the blood in their toe tips to optimize attachment, detachment, and general locomotion through their arboreal environment.

Learn about the behavioral and morphological adaptations that enable this efficient mode of transportation as well as implications for the evolution of flight and bioinspired design.

Dr. Christian Brown

Christian Brown is an Assistant Professor of Zoology and Biology at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Much of his work involves the movement of vertebrates, especially amphibians, ranging from biomechanics of locomotion to dispersal across ecosystems. He is also interested in the natural history and conservation of amphibians, frequently serving as a wildlife biologist for nature documentaries. When not studying amphibians, you can find him hiking with his dog, Blue.

Find out more about Christian and his other salamander related communications on his site: kwc.edu/directory/christian-brown.