Science
Lizard's hunting style impacts their walk
Athens, Ohio | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A U.S. study suggests the technique lizards use to grab food influences how they move. An Ohio University research team led by doctoral student Eric McElroy tracked 18 lizard species to discover how their foraging styles affected their biomechanics. The researchers said lizards use two basic foraging techniques. In the first approach, lizards spend most of their time sitting in one location, waiting for prey to pass. Then, with a quick burst of speed, they run after the prey, snatching it up with their tongues. In the other form of foraging, known as wide or active foraging, lizards move constantly but very slowly, using their chemosensory system to stalk their prey. The research team that included McElroy's adviser Professor Stephen Reilly and undergraduate Kristin Hickey found that while all lizards can run, a predatory defense mechanism, sit-and-wait lizards won't walk. Instead they run even moving at slow speeds. Wide foragers, however, evolved a slow walking gait and mechanics. The study, that included Kristin Hickey and Professor Stephen Reilly, appeared in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology. (UPI)
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