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How do the substrate reaction forces acting on a gecko’s limbs respond to inclines?

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Abstract

Locomotion is an essential character of animals, and excellent moving ability results from the delicate sensing of the substrate reaction forces (SRF) acting on body and modulating the behavior to adapt the motion requirement. The inclined substrates present in habitats pose a number of functional challenges to locomotion. In order to effectively overcome these challenges, climbing geckos execute complex and accurate movements that involve both the front and hind limbs. Few studies have examined gecko’s SRF on steeper inclines of greater than 90°. To reveal how the SRFs acting on the front and hind limbs respond to angle incline changes, we obtained detailed measurements of the three-dimensional SRFs acting on the individual limbs of the tokay gecko while it climbed on an inclined angle of 0–180°. The fore-aft forces acting on the front and hind limbs show opposite trends on inverted inclines of greater than 120°, indicating propulsion mechanism changes in response to inclines. When the incline angles change, the forces exerted in the normal and fore-aft directions by gecko’s front and hind limbs are reassigned to take full advantage of limbs’ different roles in overcoming resistance and in propelling locomotion. This also ensures that weight acts in the angle range between the forces generated by the front and hind limbs. The change in the distribution of SRF with a change in the incline angle is directly linked to the favorable trade-off between locomotive maneuverability and stability.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61175105 and 51435008), the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20123218110031), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. CXZZ11_0198 and BCXJ10_10).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Author contributions

Z.D. designed the research; Z.W. and W. L. performed the research; W.W., Z.W., and A.J. analyzed the data; Z.W. wrote the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Bio-inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210016, China

    Zhouyi Wang, Zhendong Dai, Wei Li, Aihong Ji & Wenbao Wang

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  1. Zhouyi Wang
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  2. Zhendong Dai
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Correspondence to Zhendong Dai.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Wang, Z., Dai, Z., Li, W. et al. How do the substrate reaction forces acting on a gecko’s limbs respond to inclines?. Sci Nat 102, 7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-015-1259-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-015-1259-6

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