Meeting Abstract

P3.139  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  Salamanders Head Over Heels BAKER, EM*; HESSEL, A; NISHIKAWA, K; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University emb324@nau.edu

In geckos, falling is like jumping because the tail corrects direction of movement. A study by Ardian et al. showed that geckos use their tails to keep from injuring themselves while falling. The geckos were released above the ground and filmed with high-speed cameras, which showed the tail alone generating righting maneuvers. After removal of the tail, geckos were unsuccessful at landing prone. Plethodontid salamanders jump using a unique mechanism. Jumping has mostly been observed in more developed vertebrates like geckos and lizards. Plethodontids’ legs and tails have been considered too underdeveloped for vertical movement, but studies have shown that can be counteracted by using axial musculature during jumps. Therefore, the functionality of the salamanders’ tail may be neglected. In a similar fashion, can plethodontid use their tails to adjust body posture in air? Do Plethodontids use their tails like geckos, or do they lack muscle development? We hypothesized that salamanders use the tail to right themselves in air, but not as well as geckos. We ran trials that mimicked the gecko study by filming falling salamanders. After retrieving successful trials from salamanders, we removed the tail and ran the experiment again to see if tail loss affected landing. We designated a successful fall as ending with the body in a prone position. Preliminary data shows that salamanders use their tails to correct orientation, like geckos. Salamanders show individual variability in how they correct their body orientation, including the timing and direction of tail rotations. Not all jumps were successful, showing a system that needs fine-tuning. Interestingly, successful fallers are often good jumpers, perhaps showing the importance of the tail in in-air stability as well. These results suggest that a new analysis of early tail functionality in non-arboreal amphibians should be pursued.