Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling

Squirrel parkourAcrobatic feats are performed every day above our heads. As they jump from branch to branch, squirrels have to navigate extremely complex and unpredictable environments. Mistakes can prove fatal. These feats require complex combinations of learned behaviors and evolved biomechanical adaptations. Hunt et al. Hunt et al. The squirrels' consistent and remarkable success was due to their ability to use learned impulse generation, which is used to balance distance and branch flexibility. They also have the ability of landing innovative leaps and landings when faced with increasingly difficult situations.Science, abe5753. This issue p. 697. See also abj6733. p.620