Anatomy

Animals use a wide variety of anatomical adaptations for jumping. These adaptations are exclusively concerned with the launch, as any post-launch method of extending range or controlling the jump must use aerodynamic forces, and thus is considered gliding.Aquatic species rarely display any particular specializations for jumping. Those which are good jumpers usually are primarily adapted for speed, and execute moving jumps by simply swimming to the surface at a high velocity. A few primarily aquatic species which can jump while on land, such as mud skippers, do so via a flick of the tail.At gym: a senior citizen's jumping for physical fitness exerciseIn terrestrial animals, the primary propulsive organ is the legs, though a few species use their tails. Typical characteristics of jumping species include long legs, large leg muscles, and additional limb elements. Long legs benefit by increasing the time and distance over which the animal can push against the substrate, thus allowing more power and faster, farther jumps. Large leg muscles can generate greater forces, resulting in improved jumping performances. Many jumping animals have not only elongated the normal leg elements, but have also elongated other parts of the limb, such as foot and ankle bones, effectively adding more segments to the limb and even more length. Frogs are an excellent example of all three trends: frog legs can be nearly twice the body length, leg muscles may account for up to 20% of body weight, and they have not only lengthened the foot, shin and thigh, but extended the ankle bones into another limb joint and similarly extended the hip bones and gained mobility at the sacrum for a second 'extra joint'. As a result, frogs are the undisputed champion jumpers of vertebrates, leaping over 50 body lengths, more than 8 feet.