Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling

Arboreal animals often leap through complex canopies to travel and avoid predators. Their success at making split-second, potentially life-threatening decisions of biomechanical capability depends on their skillful use of acrobatic maneuvers and learning from past efforts. Here, we found that free-ranging fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) leaping across unfamiliar, simulated branches decided where to launch by balancing a trade-off between gap distance and branch-bending compliance. Squirrels quickly learned to modify impulse generation upon repeated leaps from unfamiliar, compliant beams. A repertoire of agile landing maneuvers enabled targeted leaping without falling. Unanticipated adaptive landing and leaping parkour behavior revealed an innovative solution for particularly challenging leaps. Squirrels deciding and learning how to launch and land demonstrates the synergistic roles of biomechanics and cognition in robust gap-crossing strategies.

Automated summary

Arboreal animals, such as fox squirrels, demonstrate the synergistic roles of biomechanics and cognition in robust gap-crossing strategies by balancing gap distance and branch-bending compliance to make split-second decisions, quickly learning to modify impulse generation, and executing agile landing maneuvers. Their adaptive parkour behavior reveals an innovative solution for challenging leaps, showcasing the importance of biomechanics and cognition in decision-making during acrobatic maneuvers.