How Salamanders Skydive From the Tallest Trees in the World | Deep Look

Summary

The script explores the remarkable life of wandering salamanders, tiny amphibians that inhabit the canopies of California's coast redwoods, akin to 30-story buildings. These creatures spend their 20-year lifespans without touching the ground, navigating perilous fern mats and avoiding predators like Steller's jays. Scientists from the University of South Florida and UC Berkeley reveal the salamanders' unique gliding abilities, using their tails for steering and their feet for landing. The script also teases the toad's bug-catching prowess, inviting viewers to learn more in an upcoming episode.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The wandering salamander lives at the top of the tallest trees, the coast redwoods in California, which can be as tall as 30-story buildings.
• 🐸 These tiny amphibians can spend their entire 20-year lifespan without ever touching the forest floor.
• 🏡 They make their homes in lush fern mats that grow on the massive branches and burls of the trees.
• ⚠️ The fern mats, while comfortable, are not without danger, as they are patrolled by hungry neighbors like Steller's jays.
• 🪂 When threatened, the wandering salamander 'skydives' to the next safe spot in the tree, without the need for wings, skin flaps, or webbed toes.
• 🔬 Scientists at the University of South Florida and UC Berkeley studied the salamanders' gliding abilities in a wind tunnel.
• 📉 Other salamanders did not perform as well in the wind tunnel as the wandering salamanders.
• 🐉 The wandering salamander can control its pitch by swinging its long, flexible tail up and down.
• 🛤️ To turn while staying level, it swings its tail side to side, controlling its yaw, and can also perform rolls by rotating its tail in the opposite direction.
• 🚣 It can make banked turns by dipping its foot into the airstream, similar to a paddle changing the course of a canoe.
• 🪂 The parachute posture helps slow them down and prepares them for landing.
• 🦶 Upon landing, the forceful impact causes the salamander's feet to flex, trapping blood in their toes and stiffening them into grippy claws for climbing.
• 🔄 The salamander is ready to repeat its leap of faith once it reaches the tree's crown.

Q & A

What type of amphibian is described in the script?

The script describes the wandering salamander, a species that lives at the tops of coast redwoods in California.

How tall can coast redwoods grow, as mentioned in the script?

Coast redwoods can grow as tall as 30-floor skyscrapers, making them some of the tallest trees in the world.

What is unique about the wandering salamander's habitat?

The wandering salamander's habitat is unique because it lives high up in the canopy of coast redwoods, often never touching the forest floor throughout its 20-year-long life.

What provides a home for the wandering salamander in the tree canopy?

Lush fern mats that grow high up on massive branches and burls provide a perfect home for the wandering salamander.

What kind of danger do wandering salamanders face in their habitat?

Wandering salamanders face danger from hungry neighbors like Steller’s jays that patrol the canopy.

How do wandering salamanders escape from predators?

When threatened, wandering salamanders escape by going skydiving, or leaping to the next safe spot in the tree.

What scientific experiment was conducted to understand how wandering salamanders glide?

Scientists at the University of South Florida and UC Berkeley put wandering salamanders in a wind tunnel to study their gliding abilities.

How do wandering salamanders control their pitch while gliding?

Wandering salamanders control their pitch by swinging their long flexible tail up or down.

What does the wandering salamander do to turn while staying level during a glide?

To turn while staying level, the wandering salamander swings its tail side to side, controlling its yaw.

How do wandering salamanders perform banked turns?

Wandering salamanders perform banked turns by dipping their foot into the airstream, similar to a paddle changing the course of a canoe.

What role do the wandering salamander's feet play during landing?

The forceful impact of landing causes the salamander's feet to flex, trapping blood in their toes, swelling and stiffening them into grippy claws for a better grip.

What is the significance of the wandering salamander's toes for climbing?

The grippy claws formed by the salamander's toes after landing are a huge asset for its long and arduous climb back to the tree crown.

How do toads catch bugs, as hinted in the script?

Toads catch bugs by smacking them with a supersoft tongue covered in special spit, as mentioned in the script teaser for another episode.