Elephants

[Heidi]

I was watching a commercial on Animal Planet about a show discussiong elephants, and in the commercial the elephants were running away....

...what I noticed, was the elephants were moving very fast and their topline and heads did not move up/down, but in a smooth and straight line, and they appeared to move their legs laterally. :shock: The segment was not long enough (and the announcer was too loud and distracting) for me to count footbeats to see if they were 4-beat isochronal.
I wonder what other animals move like the PF?
Heidi

[Pasomom]

Good question, but I would imagine there might be some out there.

[PASOFAN]

Very interesting! YOu have an eye for a gait..lol I really dont know about other animals having a gait but I too am sure there out there!

[laymanz]

not sure about gaits but our Great Dane has a very nice Canter....:)

Michael & Sharon

[Jampacked]

Ihey have gaited fino mules shows, and in Calif they are a big deal to watch, they have the 4 beat just like the fino.

Midget horses, they have a breed that is gaited. You should watch them....


JH
Nuuk Greenland
National Sciene Foundation
Going Glacier Flying today...woohoo[/b]

[Got Brio?]

I wouldnt be suprised if the elephants were gaited!

[Heidi]

I remember a comment somewhere that stated Giraffe's move in a similar manner. I'm going to be paying more attention during the wildlife shows to gait...
Heidi

[GeorgeGuns]

Elephants and Giraffes move closer to a pace, not sure if there are other critters that are "gaited".

[Blameitonbrio]

Funny this should come up. We went to the circus last Tuesday (kindergarten trip) and I noticed the elephants pacing. At least it looked like pacing to me. I wonder if they can vary their gaits.

[Cindy]

Elephants and giraffes do a running walk. Maybe camels too. Can't remember for sure on them.

[CarolU]

Here you go...

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/AboutUs/Staff/jhutchinson/ResearchInterests/elephants/History.cfm

If you don't want to read the whole thing, elephants walk, amble and do a 'running walk'. They cannot gallop, where a camel can gallop.

[jan k]

Cats move like a paso

[jan k]

Cats move like a paso

[Abejita]

My cat trots..BUT she DOES have that funny little J tail thing going on ;-)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/Bruja1/febsnow019.jpg

[stella]

Camels pace, but Elephants are definitely gaited. Can you imagine if elephants trotted, all that body weight after suspension impacted on only 2 legs? The holes in the ground that would be footprints? Possible leg damage? No, its good that they always have a few feet on the ground, no time when they impact all their bodyweight on their legs!

[Edurne]

that explains why I amble rather than gallop...... thanks Stella :D

[Minouri]

I'm in trouble now. You guys have made me want to ride an elephant, a Great Dane, and possibly the neighbors cat to compare.

[Jane Hurl]

And camels can gallop. (I'm making this statement more as an assumption than a statement of fact because camels are related to alpacas and llamas and I've watched alpacas and llamas run.) They definitely gallop. It's the most ungainly gait you've ever seen! Their heads stay pretty much the same distance from the ground. Everything else undulates behind the head.

My understanding of elephants is that they pace ... always. When walking and when traveling fast.

[nmcreel]

http://www.fotosearch.com/DNG128/10aoa_a/

Wait a second for two to start to amble. Imagine yourself on board!

Nancy

[jan k]

You only have to try 3....The giraffe, camel & cat. Take a look at this link and go about 1/2 way down to the paragraph

Why do cats walk the way they do.

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/whydo2.html