Wandering Salamanders Use Blood-Filled Toe Tips to Master Redwood Canopies

New research reveals how blood-powered toe tips enable precise climbing and gliding in the world's tallest trees.

Scientists discovered that wandering salamanders regulate blood flow to their translucent toe tips to optimize grip and detachment on tree bark.
The blood-filled chambers in their toes act like a hydraulic system, inflating to reduce surface contact and energy needed for detachment.
This mechanism aids the salamanders in navigating the uneven surfaces of coastal redwoods and executing controlled glides between branches.
The study, sparked by observations during a documentary shoot, challenges previous assumptions that the toe structures were for oxygenation.
The findings could inspire advancements in adhesive technologies, prosthetics, and robotics by mimicking the salamanders' innovative toe mechanics.