Tree-hugging snakes squeeze tight for safety (original) (raw)
The fact that every snake allowed a big safety factor, squeezing from two to five times harder than needed, was a surprise.
It suggests a strategy similar to that seen when people are given heavy or difficult objects to hold, where research shows that we tend to use forces two to four times stronger than necessary.
The urge is understandable, Dr Byrnes said. "Imagine you want to jump across a stream - by how far do you clear it? Do you make it close, or go as far as you can?
"Or if you gripped your pint glass, right at the top with two fingers, how much harder are you squeezing on it than you really need?"
Having some redundancy also means if the situation changes, the snake won't slip. At certain times during their climb, several of the snakes were able to support their entire weight with just one loop around the pipe.
Some were also reluctant to set off in the first place.
"We put a dark cylinder at the top, so they can climb to safety," Dr Byrnes explained.
"Some of the snakes are very good, they see it and they go straight for it - some of the others would rather try and bite you than actually try and get up."