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Mitani N. Selectivity of Perch Diameter by Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) for Trapping in Ogasawara. CURRENT HERPETOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.5358/hsj.41.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naho Mitani
- College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252–0880, JAPAN
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2
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Hunt NH, Jinn J, Jacobs LF, Full RJ. Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling. Science 2021; 373:697-700. [PMID: 34353955 PMCID: PMC9446516 DOI: 10.1126/science.abe5753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
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 (Sciurus niger) 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel H Hunt
- Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Judy Jinn
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lucia F Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robert J Full
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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3
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Stark AY, Yanoviak SP. Adhesion and Running Speed of a Tropical Arboreal Ant (Cephalotes atratus) on Rough, Narrow, and Inclined Substrates. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:829-839. [PMID: 32533841 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arboreal ants must navigate variably sized and inclined linear structures across a range of substrate roughness when foraging tens of meters above the ground. To achieve this, arboreal ants use specialized adhesive pads and claws to maintain effective attachment to canopy substrates. Here, we explored the effect of substrate structure, including small and large-scale substrate roughness, substrate diameter, and substrate orientation (inclination), on adhesion and running speed of workers of one common, intermediately-sized, arboreal ant species. Normal (orthogonal) and shear (parallel) adhesive performance varied on sandpaper and natural leaf substrates, particularly at small size scales, but running speed on these substrates remained relatively constant. Running speed also varied minimally when running up and down inclined substrates, except when the substrate was positioned completely vertical. On vertical surfaces, ants ran significantly faster down than up. Ant running speed was slower on relatively narrow substrates. The results of this study show that variation in the physical properties of tree surfaces differentially affects arboreal ant adhesive and locomotor performance. Specifically, locomotor performance was much more robust to surface roughness than was adhesive performance. The results provide a basis for understanding how performance correlates of functional morphology contribute to determining local ant distributions and foraging decisions in the tropical rainforest canopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Y Stark
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Stephen P Yanoviak
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, 139 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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Vega CM, Ashley-Ross MA. Tiger Salamanders ( Ambystoma tigrinum) Increase Foot Contact Surface Area on Challenging Substrates During Terrestrial Locomotion. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa029. [PMID: 33791568 PMCID: PMC7794020 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals live in heterogeneous environments must navigate in order to forage or capture food, defend territories, and locate mates. These heterogeneous environments have a variety of substrates that differ in their roughness, texture, and other properties, all of which may alter locomotor performance. Despite such natural variation in substrate, many studies on locomotion use noncompliant surfaces that either are unrepresentative of the range of substrates experienced by species or underestimate maximal locomotor capabilities. The goal of this study was to determine the role of forefeet and hindfeet on substrates with different properties during walking in a generalized sprawling tetrapod, the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). Adult salamanders (n = 4, SVL = 11.2–14.6 cm) walked across level dry sand (DS), semi-soft plaster of Paris (PoP), wet sand (WS), and a hard, noncompliant surface (table)—substrates that vary in compliance. Trials were filmed in dorsal and anterior views. Videos were analyzed to determine the number of digits and surface area of each foot in contact with the substrate. The surface area of the forelimbs contacting the substrate was significantly greater on DS and PoP than on WS and the table. The surface area of the hindlimbs contacting the substrate was significantly greater on DS than on all other substrates. There were no significant differences in the time that the fore- or hindfeet were in contact with the substrate as determined by the number of digits. We conclude that salamanders modulate the use of their feet depending on the substrate, particularly on DS which is known to increase the mechanical work and energy expended during locomotion owing to the fluid nature of its loose particles. More studies are needed to test a wider range of substrates and to incorporate behavioral data from field studies to get a better understanding of how salamanders are affected by different substrates in their natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Vega
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Miriam A Ashley-Ross
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
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5
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Kulyomina Y, Moen DS, Irschick DJ. The relationship between habitat use and body shape in geckos. J Morphol 2019; 280:722-730. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Kulyomina
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts
| | - Daniel S. Moen
- Department of Integrative BiologyOklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma
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6
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Sathe EA, Husak JF. Substrate-specific locomotor performance is associated with habitat use in six-lined racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineata). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik A Sathe
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA
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Hagey TJ, Harte S, Vickers M, Harmon LJ, Schwarzkopf L. There's more than one way to climb a tree: Limb length and microhabitat use in lizards with toe pads. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184641. [PMID: 28953920 PMCID: PMC5617165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecomorphology links microhabitat and morphology. By comparing ecomorphological associations across clades, we can investigate the extent to which evolution can produce similar solutions in response to similar challenges. While Anolis lizards represent a well-studied example of repeated convergent evolution, very few studies have investigated the ecomorphology of geckos. Similar to anoles, gekkonid lizards have independently evolved adhesive toe pads and many species are scansorial. We quantified gecko and anole limb length and microhabitat use, finding that geckos tend to have shorter limbs than anoles. Combining these measurements with microhabitat observations of geckos in Queensland, Australia, we observed geckos using similar microhabitats as reported for anoles, but geckos with relatively longer limbs were using narrower perches, differing from patterns observed in anoles and other lizards. We also observed arboreal geckos with relatively shorter proximal limb segments as compared to rock-dwelling and terrestrial geckos, similar to patterns observed for other lizards. We conclude that although both geckos and anoles have adhesive pads and use similar microhabitats, their locomotor systems likely complement their adhesive pads in unique ways and result in different ecomorphological patterns, reinforcing the idea that species with convergent morphologies still have idiosyncratic characteristics due to their own separate evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis J. Hagey
- BEACON Center for Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott Harte
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mathew Vickers
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Biology and Climate Change, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Luke J. Harmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Lin Schwarzkopf
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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Mauro AA, Jayne CB. Perch compliance and experience affect destination choice of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis). ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:113-118. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Grabar RD, Gilman CA, Irschick DJ. Effects of Surface Diameter on Jumping Kinematics and Performance in Two Arboreal Gecko Species (Correlophus ciliatusandRhacodactylus auriculatus). HERPETOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Husak JF. Measuring Selection on Physiology in the Wild and Manipulating Phenotypes (in Terrestrial Nonhuman Vertebrates). Compr Physiol 2015; 6:63-85. [PMID: 26756627 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c140061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
To understand why organisms function the way that they do, we must understand how evolution shapes physiology. This requires knowledge of how selection acts on physiological traits in nature. Selection studies in the wild allow us to determine how variation in physiology causes variation in fitness, revealing how evolution molds physiology over evolutionary time. Manipulating phenotypes experimentally in a selection study shifts the distribution of trait variation in a population to better explore potential constraints and the adaptive value of physiological traits. There is a large database of selection studies in the wild on a variety of traits, but very few of those are physiological traits. Nevertheless, data available so far suggest that physiological traits, including metabolic rate, thermal physiology, whole-organism performance, and hormone levels, are commonly subjected to directional selection in nature, with stabilizing and disruptive selection less common than predicted if physiological traits are optimized to an environment. Selection studies on manipulated phenotypes, including circulating testosterone and glucocorticoid levels, reinforce this notion, but reveal that trade-offs between survival and reproduction or correlational selection can constrain the evolution of physiology. More studies of selection on physiological traits in nature that quantify multiple traits are necessary to better determine the manner in which physiological traits evolve and whether different types of traits (dynamic performance vs. regulatory) evolve differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Jayne BC, Newman SJ, Zentkovich MM, Berns HM. Why arboreal snakes should not be cylindrical: body shape, incline and surface roughness have interactive effects on locomotion. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:3978-86. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.129379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Depending on animal size, shape, body plan and behaviour, variation in surface structure can affect the speed and ease of locomotion. The slope of branches and the roughness of bark both vary considerably, but their combined effects on the locomotion of arboreal animals are poorly understood. We used artificial branches with five inclines and five peg heights (≤40 mm) to test for interactive effects on the locomotion of three snake species with different body shapes. Unlike boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) can both form ventrolateral keels, which are most pronounced in B. irregularis. Increasing peg height up to 10 mm elicited more of the lateral undulatory behaviour (sliding contact without gripping) rather than the concertina behaviour (periodic static gripping) and increased the speed of lateral undulation. Increased incline: (1) elicited more concertina locomotion, (2) decreased speed and (3) increased the threshold peg height that elicited lateral undulation. Boiga irregularis was the fastest species, and it used lateral undulation on the most surfaces, including a vertical cylinder with pegs only 1 mm high. Overall, B. constrictor was the slowest and used the most concertina locomotion, but this species climbed steep, smooth surfaces faster than P. guttatus. Our results illustrate how morphology and two different aspects of habitat structure can have interactive effects on organismal performance and behaviour. Notably, a sharper keel facilitated exploiting shorter protrusions to prevent slipping and provide propulsion, which became increasingly important as surface steepness increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C. Jayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
| | - Steven J. Newman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
| | - Michele M. Zentkovich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
| | - H. Matthew Berns
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
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12
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Sathe EA, Husak JF. Sprint sensitivity and locomotor trade-offs in green anole (Anolis carolinensis) lizards. J Exp Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.116053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
How well an organism completes an ecologically relevant task – its performance – is often considered a key factor in determining individual fitness. Historically, ecomorphological studies have examined how morphological traits determine individual performance in a static manner, assuming that differential fitness in a population is due indirectly to differences in morphological traits that determine a simple measure of performance. This assumption, however, ignores many ecological factors that can constrain performance in nature, such as substrate variation and individual behavior. We examined some of these complexities in the morphology–performance–fitness paradigm, primarily the impact that substrate variation has on performance. We measured maximal sprint speed of green anole lizards on four substrates that varied in size and complexity and are used by or available to individuals in nature. Performance decreased significantly from a broad substrate to a narrow substrate, and lizards were three times slower on a complex substrate than the broadest substrate. We also detected trade-offs in running on substrates with different diameters and in cluttered versus uncluttered environments. Furthermore, morphological predictors of performance varied among substrates. This indicates that natural selection may act on different morphological traits, depending on which substrates are used by individuals, as well as an individual's ability to cope with changes in substrate rather than maximal capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A. Sathe
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Jerry F. Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105, USA
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13
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Jayne BC, Byrnes G. The effects of slope and branch structure on the locomotion of a specialized arboreal colubrid snake (Boiga irregularis). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 323:309-21. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C. Jayne
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati Ohio
| | - Greg Byrnes
- Department of Biology; Siena College; Loudonville New York
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14
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Hit or miss: branch structure affects perch choice, behaviour, distance and accuracy of brown tree snakes bridging gaps. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Jayne BC, Baum JT, Byrnes G. Incline and peg spacing have interactive effects on the arboreal locomotor performance and kinematics of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis). J Exp Biol 2013; 216:3321-31. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.086652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Many animals move using lateral undulations, but snakes are noteworthy for using this type of locomotion in an unusual diversity of environments, including trees in which both the spacing and orientation of branches vary considerably. Despite branches providing discrete locations for snakes to generate propulsive forces during lateral undulation, the consequences of branch spacing for the locomotion of snakes are poorly understood. Hence, we determined maximal speeds and kinematics of an arboreal snake (Boiga irregularis) crawling on horizontal and vertical cylinders with pegs that simulated different spacing between secondary branches. Peg spacing, perch orientation, and their two-way interaction term had widespread, significant effects on both performance and kinematics. For the horizontal surfaces, maximal locomotor speed occurred with intermediate peg spacing, and it was nearly twice as fast as for both the smallest and largest peg spacings. By contrast, the locomotor speeds of snakes on the vertical surfaces were unaffected by peg spacing, and they were uniformly slower than those for the horizontal surfaces. For both perch orientations, the number of pegs touched by the snake decreased as peg spacing increased, and while touching only one peg the snakes crawled with apparent ease and steady speed. The snakes crawled vertically with only one peg as quickly as they did using 2-10 pegs. Pegs on a horizontal cylinder are probably important both for propulsion of snakes and preventing long-axis rolling, whereas pegs protruding from vertical cylinders and those protruding from horizontal planar surfaces are probably used almost exclusively for propulsion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C Jayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA.
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Hoefer KM, Jayne BC. Three-Dimensional Locations of Destinations Have Species-Dependent Effects on the Choice of Paths and the Gap-Bridging Performance of Arboreal Snakes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 319:124-37. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Marie Hoefer
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Bruce C. Jayne
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, Ohio
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Hyams SE, Jayne BC, Cameron GN. Arboreal habitat structure affects locomotor speed and perch choice of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 317:540-51. [PMID: 22927206 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Arboreal habitats pose several challenges for locomotion resulting from narrow cylindrical surfaces, steep slopes, and secondary branches that can form obstructions. We used laboratory trials to test whether different diameters, slopes, or complexity of branches affected maximum speeds and perch choice of the semi-arboreal white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). We tested locomotor performance of mice running horizontally and up and down 45° slopes for cylindrical artificial branches with five diameters ranging from 10 to 116 mm and on a subset of diameters for cylinders that were horizontal and had pegs (e.g., secondary branches) every 10 or 20 cm. Slope, diameter, and presence of pegs on top of cylinders had significant and interactive effects on locomotor performance. On horizontal cylinders the speed of mice increased with increased diameter among the three smallest diameters, but changed little with further increases in diameter, whereas for sloped surfaces the extreme diameters had lower speeds than an intermediate diameter. For a given diameter, the speeds of mice were usually faster when running horizontally rather than running uphill or downhill. The presence of pegs greatly decreased running speed compared to unobstructed surfaces, but the magnitude of this effect decreased as diameter increased. The difficulties of maintaining balance and avoiding toppling may have caused much of the decrease in speed and associated increased amounts of pausing. Only 1 of 11 choice tests detected a significant bias of mice favoring the perch that maximized locomotor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Hyams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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