Running on water versus land in anolis lizards

Background:

An inherent part of animal locomotion is coming into contact with a substrate. These substrates can range from incredibly dense rock with low compliance to packed dirt to flowing sand with high compliance. As a result, animals may have to alter their kinematics to adapt to potential changes in the substrate. The most fluid substrate is water and while water is usually associated with swimming, water running has been observed in a variety of animals ranging from water striders to dolphins. Although the most famous example of running on water comes from the bipedal lizard, Basiliscus vittatus, other lizards have also been observed to run across the surface of the water, namely Hemidactylus platyurus, a house gecko and in this study, Anolis sageri, the brown anole. While the basilisk lizard has adaptations specific to running on water, such as elongated toe fringes on the foot to increase surface area, Anolis, with its terrestrial and arboreal habitat, is not adapted for water running, although it is capable of the behavior. Moreover, Anolis running on water, similar the house gecko, appears to be primarily quadrupedal, where the forelimbs and hindlimbs make contact with the water.

In this study, we test if the kinematics used for running are the same between water and land with an animal not adapted for this mode of locomotion. Results show that running on water is slower compared to land and that there are many kinematic differences between the two substrates including: longer strides in both the forelimb and hindlimb on land, and greater axial wavelengths on land and greater axial frequencies in water.

THE MAIN QUESTION:

Are there a differences in performance and kinematics between running on land and running on water in Anolis lizards?