Summary
Wandering salamanders live high in the world's tallest trees -- and when they fall or leap, they don't just tumble. Deep Look shows how they spread their legs and tails to slow down, steer, and land safely, like tiny skydivers.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
A wandering salamander splays its legs and flattens its body to catch the air, then uses its tail to steer. Those movements slow its fall and let it glide back to a branch instead of crashing -- survival high in the treetops.
- How does a salamander slow itself down when it falls?
- Why is being able to steer in the air useful in a tall tree?
- What body parts does the salamander use to control its glide?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: glide, splay, structure, survive.
Try it: Drop a flat sheet of paper and a crumpled one at the same time. Write how spreading out slows a fall, like the salamander's legs.