How Flying Squirrels Glide Instead of Fly
Flying squirrels have one of the most misleading names in the animal kingdom. They can cross impressive gaps between trees, turn in midair, and make controlled landings, but they never …
Animal Locomotion
Sandfish Lizard Sand Swimming: How It Moves Underground
On the surface of a North African dune, a small golden skink pauses for an instant. Then it lowers its wedge-shaped head into the loose sand, drives forward, and disappears. …
How Pygmy Marmosets Cling to Vertical Trees With Claw-Like Nails
Introduction The hands of a monkey are usually imagined as grasping tools: flexible fingers tipped with flat nails, wrapping around branches much as a human hand might. Pygmy marmosets complicate …
The Fish That Walks on Mud: How Mudskippers Live Between Water and Land
A fish resting on an exposed mudflat seems to be in the wrong place. Then it pushes itself forward on its fins, skips across the mud, raises a colorful dorsal …