Locomotor kinematics on sand versus vinyl flooring in the sidewinder rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes.

ABSTRACT: 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). Si

SUBMITTER: Tingle JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10660788 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature