Department of Integrative Biology, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Department of Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2022 Oct 15;225(20). doi: 10.1242/jeb.244598. Epub 2022 Oct 14.
Wandering salamanders (Aneides vagrans) inhabit the crowns of the world's tallest trees, taking refuge in epiphytic fern mats within these complex arboreal environments. These salamanders readily jump from the canopy when disturbed and maintain stable postures while falling via fine adjustments of the limbs and tail in lieu of dedicated aerodynamic control surfaces, thus reliably carrying out non-vertical descent. Here, we examined the aerial behavior and performance of A. vagrans and three other species of plethodontid salamander across a habitat gradient of arboreality by recording salamanders falling from short heights and moving within the jet of a vertical wind tunnel. Kinematic performance of aerial behavior in plethodontid salamanders was correlated with a gradient of arboreal habitats; moreover, salamanders from arboreal niches were more effective in slowing and redirecting descent compared with other salamanders. Aneides vagrans and the closely related Aneides lugubris consistently engaged in parachuting and gliding when falling; their trajectories were very steep, but were sufficiently angled to enable contact with either the home trunk or nearby branches during falls or jumps from great heights. Aerial maneuvering in arboreal salamanders is similar to that seen in other vertebrates capable of non-vertical and controlled descent, suggesting that the long limbs and active tail of these arboreal plethodontids (often cited as adaptations for climbing) may also contribute to parachuting and gliding when falling from trees. These aerial behaviors within the redwood canopy warrant further investigations into other canopy residents that lack conspicuous surfaces for aerodynamic control.
wandered 蝾螈（Aneides vagrans）栖息在世界上最高的树的树冠中，在这些复杂的树栖环境中，它们在附生蕨类植物垫中避难。当受到干扰时，这些蝾螈会从树冠中轻易跳跃，并通过精细调整四肢和尾巴的姿势来保持稳定的下落姿势，而不是使用专用的空气动力学控制面，从而可靠地进行非垂直下降。在这里，我们通过记录从短高度落下并在垂直风洞的射流中移动的蝾螈，检查了 A. vagrans 和其他三种有肺螈的空中行为和性能，跨越了树栖栖息地的梯度。有肺螈的空中行为的运动表现与树栖栖息地的梯度相关；此外，来自树栖小生境的蝾螈在减缓和重新引导下降方面比其他蝾螈更有效。Aneides vagrans 和密切相关的 Aneides lugubris 在下降时始终进行跳伞和滑翔；它们的轨迹非常陡峭，但角度足够大，以便在从高处坠落或跳跃时与主树干或附近的树枝接触。树栖蝾螈的空中机动与其他能够进行非垂直和受控下降的脊椎动物相似，这表明这些树栖有肺螈的长肢和活跃的尾巴（通常被认为是适应攀爬的特征）也可能有助于从树上跳伞和滑翔。这些在红杉树冠中的空中行为值得进一步研究其他缺乏空气动力学控制明显表面的树冠居民。
