74-1 Sat Jan 2 Juvenile pandas use head motion to maintain balance during climbing Zhao, W*; Ayala, J; Schulz, A; Rong, H; McGowan, C; Hu, D; Georgia Tech, School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, GA; Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding ; Georgia Tech, School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, GA; Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding ; University of Idaho, School of Biological Sciences, Moscow, ID; Georgia Tech, Schools of Mechanical Engineering and Biological Sciences, Atlanta, GA wenxinrosezhao@gatech.edu
A juvenile panda’s best defense against predators is to scamper up a tree. Compared to other members of the Ursidae family, Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) have the smallest shoulder height to body weight ratio, suggesting a weak climbing ability. In this experimental study, we film eight panda cubs climbing poles of various diameter. Cubs climb at speeds of 0.1 – 0.2 body lengths per second, which is 16 times slower than scansorial primates of similar mass. While all climbing pandas swung their heads laterally at a rate of 0.4 Hz, successful climbers swung their heads at twice the amplitude of failed climbers. We hypothesize that wider head swings enable pandas to maintain torque balance as they lift and extend each foreleg. Our study provides quantitative metric for climbing ability, to aid the selection of pandas for reintroduction.
