Sandfish lizard "swims" through sand
A team at Georgia Tech has been studying the biomechanics that allow the "sandfish lizard" to propel itself so quickly through sand.
"Goldman described the sandfish 
as a little lizard that lives in the desert in North Africa. When startled, it can burrow 10 cm beneath the surface in less than half a second. Its wedge-shaped head, which biologists believe gives the critter its lightning-quick burrowing ability, was the project's inspiration..."
A cylinder pulled through sand generated lift, but the lizard's head generated "negative lift," keeping it submerged.
"On an earlier research project, Goldman's CRAB Lab used high-speed x-ray imaging to observe the lizard's movement when submerged. They found that it doesn't use its legs when swimming through sand, instead tucking them by its side and slithering like a snake."
Additional information at Physics Buzz.
Cool post! My old lab at the University of South Florida studies the Florida sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi), an endangered sand-burrowing lizard endemic to Central Florida. It has even more reduced legs and a narrower body than these sandfish lizards and rarely emerges above the surface. Very cool critters, but tricky to study.
ReplyDeleteWho is going to care for the poor sandfish lizard when it gets cancer from all the radiation from the x-rays??
ReplyDelete