Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling

Arboreal animals often leap through complex canopies to travel and avoid predators. Their success at making split-second, potentially life-threatening decisions of biomechanical capability depends on their skillful use of acrobatic maneuvers and learning from past efforts. Here, we found that free-r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2021-08, Vol.373 (6555), p.697-700
Main Authors: Hunt, Nathaniel H, Jinn, Judy, Jacobs, Lucia F, Full, Robert J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Biomechanics
Branches
Cognition
Compliance
Landing
Learning
Locomotion
Maneuvers
Predators
Sciuridae - physiology
Squirrels
Trees
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Summary:Arboreal animals often leap through complex canopies to travel and avoid predators. Their success at making split-second, potentially life-threatening decisions of biomechanical capability depends on their skillful use of acrobatic maneuvers and learning from past efforts. Here, we found that free-ranging fox squirrels ( ) leaping across unfamiliar, simulated branches decided where to launch by balancing a trade-off between gap distance and branch-bending compliance. Squirrels quickly learned to modify impulse generation upon repeated leaps from unfamiliar, compliant beams. A repertoire of agile landing maneuvers enabled targeted leaping without falling. Unanticipated adaptive landing and leaping "parkour" behavior revealed an innovative solution for particularly challenging leaps. Squirrels deciding and learning how to launch and land demonstrates the synergistic roles of biomechanics and cognition in robust gap-crossing strategies.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abe5753