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The fascinating trick behind salamanders' dexterity (video) [1]

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Date: 2025-02-27

In this mesmerizing video, a close up of a salamander's toes show blood moving into their feet to support their vertical movement and dexterity. I find it oddly calming to watch this process. I wouldn't want to see my own blood flow through my feet though, and am glad that I don't have transparent skin like this salamander.

From YouTube: " How salamanders manage to move around on uneven, vertical tree surfaces with such dexterity has long baffled scientists. A new discovery suggests they use a trick out of a horror movie: filling their toes with pools of blood.

While Christian Brown at Washington State University was observing wandering salamanders (Aneides vagrans) through a close-up camera in 2021 in a coastal redwood forest, he noticed blood moving in a rhythmic pattern under their translucent skin. Before lifting their foot to take a step, blood inundated the tips of the salamanders' 18 toes. Once they placed their foot, the blood dissipated, and they kept their toes drained while clinging to the surface."

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/02/27/salamanders-blood-filled-toes-the-fascinating-trick-behind-their-dexterity-on-vertical-surfaces.html

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