Leap of faith

Watch: Skydiving salamanders survive falls from redwood trees by gliding effortlessly

by Jennifer Walter
Christian Brown

thianchai sitthikongsak/Moment/Getty Images

Humans might need parachutes to skydive, but a miniature salamander has its own tactics for leaping safely out of sky-high trees.

Christian Brown

Aneides vagrans, or the wandering salamander, can grow up to 13 centimeters long.

It spends its time hunting for bugs in the canopies of the tallest trees in the world, redwoods.

Tap
Space, Time, Dinosaurs, and Other Essential Topics
Get the best of science—space missions, black holes, futuristic biology—delivered daily, minus the jargon.
By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy