Gibbons' extraordinary jumps 'down to technique' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Hamish Pritchard
Science Reporter

Most jumping animals are specialists, physically well adapted to the task. Fleas, locusts and frogs use their legs as springs to store energy and then fire them into the air.

But specialising like this limits their options.

Gibbons are the exception, they can swing, walk and climb, and they can jump. From a standing start, a 10m tree-to-tree leap is not a problem for the gibbon.

But they have none of the anatomical adaptations of specialist jumping animals.

A new study reveals their secret: great technique.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14476383

[lob1]

1. Gibbons are exciting to watch in the wild. They move like

Spiderman, if Spiderman was real. I saw a pack of gibbons (in Indonesia) racing through the jungle tree tops, hauling ass at top speed. They raced out of the top of a 50 foot tree and freefell for 45 feet. At the last second, they grabbed a branch only 5 ft from the ground, then whipped themselves up to catch a branch 10 feet higher on the next tree. They did this as a group and it was amazing to watch.

[rug]

2. This one is more like the Joker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3CI8I5Si_U

[lob1]

3. That's hysterical.

I'm going to send it to a few friends. Thanks for the link.

It's amazing that the gibbon's reflexes are so very, very, very much faster than the tigers, that the gibbon was in complete control of the situation. Tigers have pretty fast reflexes in the scheme of things, but the gibbon really schools them.

[AlecBGreen]

4. lol

:thumbsup:

[Ready4Change]

5. They are like arboreal parkour runners.

Seemingly endless gliding motion. Fun to watch.