vectorgraphic of an ant
Toni Wöhrl
Contact
Toni Wöhrl
Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research
Erbertstrasse 1 (room 119)
07743 Jena
Germany
Tel.: +49 3641/ 949 103
Email: toni.woehrl@uni-jena.de
animated gif of a moving ant in the measurebox
Climbing behaviours in ants
Ants are ecologically successful in various habitats and are known to move with a robust alternating tripod gait. Thus, one crucial factor for the success of the ants, or in a broader perspective six-legged animals, could be in the advantages of their locomotor system. To understand how ants engage their legs and body parts on slopes to progress without slipping or uncontrolled tipping, we measured and compared the reaction forces and joint trajectories of individual ant legs and body segments.
Publications
Wöhrl T, Richter A, Guo S, Reinhardt L, Nowotny, M Blickhan, R (2021) Comparative analysis of a geometric and an adhesive righting strategy against toppling in inclined hexapedal locomotion [DOIExternal link] [DataExternal link] [CodeExternal link]
Wöhrl, T (2019), "Risking rather tipping than sliding in traversing uneven habitats? Comparing adaptive locomotion strategies for two different ant species", Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany
Guo S, Lin J, Wöhrl T and Liao M (2018), "A Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal Model for Insects With Data-driven Optimization", Scientific Reports., 2, 2018. Vol. 8(1), pp. 2129. [DOIExternal link] [PDFExternal link] [VideoExternal link]
Wöhrl T, Reinhardt L and Blickhan R (2017), "Propulsion in hexapod locomotion: how do desert ants traverse slopes?", Journal of Experimental Biology., 2, 2017. Vol. 220(9), pp. 1618-1625. [DOIExternal link] [PDFExternal link] [DataExternal link] [VideoExternal link]
Wöhrl, T (2016), "Ants walking on slopes", Motions Systems Perspectives Conference, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany
Li C, Wöhrl T, Lam HK and Full RJ (2019), "Cockroaches use diverse strategies to self-right on the ground", Journal of Experimental Biology. Vol. 222(15), pp. 1618-1625. [DOIExternal link] [PDFExternal link] [Video 1External link] [Video 2External link] [Video 3External link]
Li, C, Wöhrl, T., Lam, H & Full, R (2015), "Abstract: B47.00003: Self-righting behavior of cockroaches", In: Bulletin of the American Physical Society March Meeting 2015.