Study examines how Malaysian snakes roll with steady heads
マレーシアの小型ヘビ、頭を安定させて転がる仕組みを研究科学・技術
- Country:
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia
- Voice:
- 🇺🇸 Alex
英語本文
A study published on October 19 analysed how small dwarf reedsnakes from Sarawak, Malaysia, roll rapidly while keeping their heads relatively stable. Ecologist Yosuke Kojima of Toho University in Chiba, Japan, led the investigation after a colleague described the behaviour in Sarawak in 2019. The research examined the mechanics of previously documented rolling.
The team collected 13 dwarf reedsnakes at Kubah National Park: 11 Pseudorabdion saravacense, one P. collaris and one P. longiceps. Six Calamaria reedsnakes provided a comparison. Cameras recorded movement after gentle taps. All 13 dwarf reedsnakes rolled; none of the comparison snakes did. Peak speeds reached 1.72–3.69 metres per second, about four times the peak for ordinary slithering. They could follow a track just 20 centimetres wide.
Rolling alternates contact between the body's sides as an arched section swings down past the head. While the rear rotates rapidly, the head points forwards at a relatively stable height, especially at higher speeds. Researchers suggest head stabilization may help maintain control during rolling.