University Research
Accessibility
1
Description
For terrestrial locomotion of animals and machines, physical characteristics of the substrate can strongly impact kinematics and performance. Snakes are an especially interesting system for studying substrate effects because their gait depends more on the environment than on their speed. We tested sidewinder rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerastes) on two surfaces: sand collected from their natural environment and vinyl tile flooring, an artificial surface often used to elicit sidewinding in laboratory settings. Of ten kinematic variables examined, two differed significantly between the substrates: the body's waveform had an average of ∼17% longer wavelength on vinyl flooring (measured in body lengths), and snakes lifted their bodies an average of ∼40% higher on sand (measured in body lengths). Sidewinding may also differ among substrates in ways we did not measure (e.g. ground reaction forces and energetics), leaving open clear directions for future study.
Publisher name
Company of Biologists
Grant Information
N/A
Data Management
N/A
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Link
https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.060146
Publication Date
11-10-2023
Publication Title
Biology Open
Volume
12
Issue
11
Recommended Citation
Tingle, Jessica L.; Sherman, Brian M.; and Garland, Theodore Jr, "Locomotor kinematics on sand vs. vinyl flooring in the sidewinder rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes" (2023). University Research. 70.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/university_research/70
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.