Zhou Rui, Wang Zhouyi, Song Yi, Liu Shuhao, Dai Zhendong
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
Shenzhen Research Institute, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shenzhen, China.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol. 2025 Jan;343(1):15-24. doi: 10.1002/jez.2864. Epub 2024 Sep 2.
As an arboreal animal, tree frogs face diverse challenges when landing on perches, including variations in substrate shape, diameter, flexibility, and angular distribution, with potentially significant consequences for failed landings. Research on tree frog landing behavior on perches, especially concerning landing on vertical substrates, remains limited. This study investigated the landing strategies (forelimb, abdomen, and hindlimb) of tree frogs on vertical perches, considering perch diameter. Although all three strategies were observed across perches of different diameters, their frequencies differed. Forelimb landing was most common across all perch diameters, with its frequency increasing with perch diameter, while abdomen and hindlimb landing strategies were more prevalent on smaller diameter perches. During the process from take-off to landing, the body axis underwent some deviation owing to the asymmetric movement of the left and right limbs; however, these deviations did not significantly differ among landing strategies. Additionally, different landing strategies led to variations in the landing forces, with abdominal landings generating significantly higher impact forces than the other two strategies. These findings provide insights into the biomechanics and biological adaptations of tree frogs when landing on challenging substrates, such as leaves or branches.
作为一种树栖动物，树蛙在降落到栖木上时面临着各种挑战，包括基质形状、直径、柔韧性和角度分布的变化，着陆失败可能会产生重大后果。关于树蛙在栖木上的着陆行为，尤其是在垂直基质上着陆的研究仍然有限。本研究调查了树蛙在垂直栖木上的着陆策略（前肢、腹部和后肢），并考虑了栖木直径。尽管在不同直径的栖木上都观察到了这三种策略，但它们的频率有所不同。前肢着陆在所有栖木直径上最为常见，其频率随着栖木直径的增加而增加，而腹部和后肢着陆策略在较小直径的栖木上更为普遍。在从起飞到着陆的过程中，由于左右肢体的不对称运动，身体轴线发生了一些偏差；然而，这些偏差在不同着陆策略之间没有显著差异。此外，不同的着陆策略导致着陆力有所变化，腹部着陆产生的冲击力明显高于其他两种策略。这些发现为树蛙在诸如树叶或树枝等具有挑战性的基质上着陆时的生物力学和生物适应性提供了见解。
