Abstract:

A gecko’s habitat possesses a wide range of climbing slopes that pose a number of postural challenges for climbing lo-comotion. Few studies have examined the relationship between the lateral bending of the trunk of a gecko and other aspects of locomotion when climbing. In this paper, three-dimensional reaction forces and high-speed videos of Gekko geckos moving on different slopes are used to reveal how the lateral bending of the animal’s trunk responds to changing slopes. The results of such observations indicate that the minimum bending radius continually decreases with an increase in the slope, illustrating that the degree of bending of the trunk becomes significantly greater. Moreover, a lateral bending mechanical model is used to show the interrelation between the lateral bending in the frontal plane and the sagittal deformation of the trunk caused by gravity. Taken together, these results have advanced our understanding of the role of lateral bending of vertebrates when climbing on a slope.

Key words: slope, lateral bending, reaction force, gecko, ceiling