Positional Behavior of Japanese Giant Flying Squirrels (Petaurista Leucogenys)

Stafford, Brian J.; Thorington, Richard W.; Kawamichi, Takeo

doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2003)084<0263:pbojgf>2.0.co;2

Cited by 25 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…During vertical movements, the S. vulgaris individuals in our study used clawed activities more often than has been reported for other free-ranging squirrels, with the exception of Microsciurus flaviventer (BW 82-98 g;Hayssen 2008) (Garber and Sussman 1984;Youlatos 1999;Stafford et al 2003). Clawed locomotion, which occurs principally on trunks and other large subvertical branches in the centre of single trees, permits relatively fast vertical displacement within the lower parts of the forest (Youlatos 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…martens or cats). Finally, in contrast to arboreal species, both large and small flying squirrels use comparably high rates of claw climbing, which may be associated with the necessity to obtain rapidly higher points for gliding in order to maximize its efficiency (Stafford et al 2003;Essner 2007;Scheibe et al 2006;Flaherty et al 2008Flaherty et al , 2010.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…These animals principally inhabit the tropics and feed mainly on fruit and nuts that are collected in the terminal branch zone, implying extensive use of quadrupedalism and sitting (Emry and Thorington 1984). Positional data on largebodied species are based solely on the flying squirrel Petaurista petaurista [body weight (BW) 1,264-1,405 g; Hayssen 2008], which exhibits comparably low rates of quadrupedal activities (Stafford et al 2003). Similar activities are also recorded for the much smaller southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans (BW 53-57 g; Hayssen 2008), substantiating the derived morpho-behavioural nature of flying squirrels, which are specialized for gliding and integrate frequent vertical movements to obtain higher initial platforms in order to maximize gliding performance (Thorington and Heaney 1981;Essner 2007; see also Scheibe et al 2006Scheibe et al , 2007.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, larger species ([300 g) engage more frequently in quadrupedalism and leaping, mainly using smaller horizontal supports (Garber and Sussman 1984;Youlatos 1999;Stafford et al 2003;Essner 2007). However, eco-behavioural divergence does not always follow morphological variability, implying that interactions among levels are complex (Youlatos 1999;Essner 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Arboreal locomotor and postural behaviour of European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.) in northern Greece

Youlatos

Σαμαράς

2010

J Ethol

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The study of the locomotion and postures of arboreal squirrels may provide important contextual information on the evolution of the morphology and ecology of sciurids. In this context, we studied the positional behaviour and habitat use of four adult European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.) in a mixed coniferous forest in northern Greece. Our results show that, during the study period, S. vulgaris extensively used the forest canopy and the terminal branch zone. The use of small and medium supports of all orientations was also particularly frequent. The positional profile of the species was characterized by the dominance of quadrupedal, clawed and airborne locomotion along with seated and standing postures. Quadrupedalism and sitting appeared to promote terminal branch use for food access and manipulation, while claw climbing favored vertical ranging and retreat to trees after terrestrial foraging. Finally, leaping reduced energetic costs during travelling between food sites within the relatively dispersed forest. These results and those of previous research on the positional behaviour of other squirrels reveal several trends related to body size, arboreal or gliding habits and tropical or temperate forest distribution and contribute to the understanding of evolutionary novelty in multiple levels within the sciurid radiation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Arboreal locomotor and postural behaviour of European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.) in northern Greece

Youlatos

Σαμαράς

2010

J Ethol

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“…Surface navigation can be quasi-static or dynamic, and animals frequently adopt different gaits depending on the speed and irregularity of surfaces [23]. For example, flying squirrels can walk, bound and leap while moving on trees [117]. As another example, many birds navigate trees by hopping while foraging [118][119][120][121][122].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Touchdown to take-off: at the interface of flight and surface locomotion

Roderick¹,

Cutkosky²,

Lentink³

2017

Interface Focus.

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Small aerial robots are limited to short mission times because aerodynamic and energy conversion efficiency diminish with scale. One way to extend mission times is to perch, as biological flyers do. Beyond perching, small robot flyers benefit from manoeuvring on surfaces for a diverse set of tasks, including exploration, inspection and collection of samples. These opportunities have prompted an interest in bimodal aerial and surface locomotion on both engineered and natural surfaces. To accomplish such novel robot behaviours, recent efforts have included advancing our understanding of the aerodynamics of surface approach and take-off, the contact dynamics of perching and attachment and making surface locomotion more efficient and robust. While current aerial robots show promise, flying animals, including insects, bats and birds, far surpass them in versatility, reliability and robustness. The maximal size of both perching animals and robots is limited by scaling laws for both adhesion and claw-based surface attachment. Biomechanists can use the current variety of specialized robots as inspiration for probing unknown aspects of bimodal animal locomotion. Similarly, the pitch-up landing manoeuvres and surface attachment techniques of animals can offer an evolutionary design guide for developing robots that perch on more diverse and complex surfaces.

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The Narrow Niche hypothesis: Gray squirrels shed new light on primate origins

Orkin

Pontzer

2011

American J Phys Anthropol

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Current hypotheses for primate origins propose that nails and primate-like grasping hands and feet were important early adaptations for feeding in fine branches. Comparative research in this area has focused on instances of convergence in extant animals, showing that species with primate-like morphology feed predominantly from terminal branches. Little has been done to test whether animals without primate-like morphology engage in similar behavior. We tested the fine-branch niche hypothesis for primate origins by observing branch use in Eastern gray squirrels, Sciurus carolinensis, a species lacking primate grasping adaptations that has been understudied in the context of primate origins. We hypothesized that because gray squirrels lack primate-like grasping adaptations, they would avoid feeding and foraging in terminal branches. Instantaneous focal animal sampling was used to examine the locomotor and postural behaviors used while feeding and foraging. Our results demonstrate habitual and effective usage of terminal branches by gray squirrels while feeding and foraging, primarily on tree seeds (e.g., oak, maple, and elm). Discriminant function analysis indicates that gray squirrels feed and forage like primates, unlike some other tree squirrel species. Given the absence of primate-like features in gray squirrels, we suggest that although selection for fine-branch foraging may be a necessary condition for primate origins, it is not sufficient. We propose an alternative model of primate origins. The Narrow Niche hypothesis suggests that the primate morphological suite evolved not only from selection pressure for fine branch use, but also from a lack of engagement in other activities.

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Positional Behavior of Japanese Giant Flying Squirrels (Petaurista Leucogenys)

Cited by 25 publications

References 24 publications

Arboreal locomotor and postural behaviour of European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.) in northern Greece

Arboreal locomotor and postural behaviour of European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.) in northern Greece

Touchdown to take-off: at the interface of flight and surface locomotion

The Narrow Niche hypothesis: Gray squirrels shed new light on primate origins

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