Page 36 - World of Animals - Issue #36

Animal Olympians

Hop to it Best jumper

Hopping is a swi and effi cient mode of transportation!

Here are just a few of the world’s best animal jumpers
Performing a long jump of up to 15m (49.2ft), the snow
leopard can leap ten times the length of its own body

The beautiful snow leopard is perfectly springy ability is supported by a few key
adapted for life in the rugged, adaptations. First of all, the long and
mountainous landscapes of Central strong tail is key. This tail can extend to
Asia. This cat has a big appetite and is a nearly a metre (3.28ft) behind the snow
Hare voracious hunter. To survive in the craggy, leopard, and it helps the cat to balance
The hare’s muscly back feet make up nearly 30 per cent of snowy peaks of mountains and be able to and keep on course. The large and
its body length! Using these powerful feet, hares can make catch enough prey to survive you need to muscular hind limbs provide the thrust
3m (9.84 ) hops and reach burst speeds of 50kph (21mph). be good at one thing: jumping. to propel the cat through the air, and

JUMP Nearly 5.5 times its body length An adult snow leopard can execute the leopard’s large paws enable a sturdy
a leap that can cover a distance of 15m landing, even on snow. These gravity-
(49.2ft). This comes in very handy when defying leaps help the snow leopard to
both stalking prey and navigating the stalk prey of Tibetan blue sheep (bharal)
mountainous terrain. The outstandingly from a distance of 10-15m (32.8-49.2ft).

Flea
These tiny parasites have an amazing ability – the world’s
best jump. They use multiple joints in their back legs to
transfer energy, enabling the flea to make astounding leaps.

JUMP Up to 150 times its body length

Frog
The power for a frog’s jump comes from the tendons in the
legs, and not the muscles. Depending on the species, some

frogs can make jumps of over 2m (6.56 ).
JUMP 20 times their own length

Wallaby
Like their kangaroo cousins, wallabies spring their way

across the bush. Large back feet propel them hop a er hop,
allowing them to jump both high and far simultaneously.
JUMP 2.5 times its own height

ABOVE
Red kangaroos are expert
Impala hoppers. With huge hind
Although they might not look like expert jumpers, impalas legs that provide expert
springiness, a kangaroo can
can clear distances of 10m (32.8 ) and heights of 3m (9.84 ) hop over 8m (26.2 ) in a single

with a single jump, which is good for escaping predators. leap and reach hopping speeds
JUMP 3.5 times its own height of over 56kph (34.8mph)!
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