Sticking under wet conditions: the remarkable attachment abilities of the torrent frog, Staurois guttatus.

ABSTRACT: Tree frogs climb smooth surfaces utilising capillary forces arising from an air-fluid interface around their toe pads, whereas torrent frogs are able to climb in wet environments near waterfalls where the integrity of the meniscus is at risk. This study compares the adhesive capabilities of a torrent frog to a tree frog, investigating possible adaptations for adhesion under wet conditions. We challenged both frog species to cling to a platform which could be tilted from the horizontal to an upside-down orientation, testing the frogs on different levels of roughness and water flow. On dry, smooth surfaces, both frog species stayed attached to overhanging slopes equally well. In contrast, under both low and high flow rate conditions, the torrent frogs performed significantly better, even adh

SUBMITTER: Endlein T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3783468 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature