The Influence of Snow Properties on Speed and Gait Choice in the Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea).

ABSTRACT: Substrate supportiveness is linked to the metabolic cost of locomotion, as it influences the depth to which the foot of a moving animal will sink. As track depth increases, animals typically reduce their speed to minimize any potential energetic imbalance. Here, we examine how self-selected speed in the Svalbard rock ptarmigan is affected by snow supportiveness and subsequent footprint depth measured using thin-blade penetrometry and 3D photogrammetry, respectively. Our findings indicate that snow supportiveness and footprint depth are poor predictors of speed (r ² = 0.149) and stride length (r ² = 0.106). The ptarmigan in our study rarely sunk to depths beyond the intertarsal joint, regardless of the speed, suggesting that at this relatively shallow dep

SUBMITTER: Marmol-Guijarro A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8363982 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature