New research suggests that Hipposknown for its massive size and semi-aquatic life.They can lift all four legs off the ground while trotting at high speed. Existing, Published in the magazine Berg, The focus of the study was Royal Veterinary College (RVC) From the United Kingdom.
the HipposWhich can exceed 2,000 kilograms, and was analyzed through videos collected under different conditions. “The Hippos were a big missing piece of the puzzle. Animal biomechanics.” According to the study, this is the first time that these animals have been shown to be able to dislocate all of their limbs off the ground by 15% in each fast trot.
The investigation was not easy to conduct. Hutchinson explained the difficulties associated with working with hippos, explaining their danger and nocturnal behavior. “They are very dangerous and tend to be most active at night,” he explained. However, the researchers used video Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire And the recordings are in Internet To monitor the movements of hippos.
Emily Pringle, a former RVC graduate student, was active in collecting videos of two hippos in her area in Flamingo Land Resort“We were pleasantly surprised to see how hippos fly when they move fast,” he said. Videos showed the animals sprinting and repeatedly lifting all four legs off the ground, Something unusual in animals of this size.
This study also reveals that hippos have strange movement patternUnlike other large land animals that alternate between walking, trotting, and running, hippos maintain almost exclusively a trotting pace at varying speeds. Hippos trot almost exclusively.Even when they walk slowly or run fast, Hutchinson explained.
the The elephantsFor example, they use only a typical gait without lifting all their limbs off the ground and can only walk quickly. In contrast, unicorn They have a variety of gaits: they walk, trot and can gallop like horses. This puts Hippos in A unique category among the greats the animals terrestrialdefying previous expectations about their motor abilities.
In addition to a better understanding of the biomechanics of HipposThis research has practical implications. Hutchinson said the findings could help improve the care of these animals. Zoos And in natureA better understanding of how they move could help veterinarians diagnose and monitor movement problems, such as lameness. “The findings could inform how hippos are kept in captivity, as well as help detect and monitor whether hippos are experiencing physical problems,” the researcher stressed.
Behavior of baby hippos This also sparked curiosity, as reports suggest they can run, an ability they lose in adulthood. Hutchinson expressed interest in further research into whether Baby and pygmy hippos They can maintain this ability to run, which I was able to observe in a video clip showing a young pygmy hippopotamus running.
Vitality arrived Kieran HolidayHead of the Department of Science and Conservation at Flamingo Land ResortA detailed understanding of these species will lead to improved enclosure design and breeding programmes in zoos:The fact that this paper has revealed potential new discoveries about hippo locomotion could have positive implications for the zoo community as a whole.“
The video analysis methodology used in this study also represents a milestone in large animal research. Hutchinson described the challenges of reviewing the footage frame by frame as “overwhelming” and “painful.” However, the arduous task led to important discoveries.
Hutchinson pointed out the importance of these studies in the evolution of movement in large land animals, both current and extinct. “This work helps researchers reconstruct the evolution of locomotion in large land animals, starting with the giant dinosaurs.”He finished.
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