What does brachiating mean?

Brachiating is a form or arboreal locomotion – a means of travelling in trees. Primates that live in trees, such as monkeys, move from branch to branch as they travel among the trees, instead of climbing down to the ground and then climbing up the next tree.

Another term for brachiating is arm swinging. Monkeys swing their arms as they tree travel. They always keep contact with a branch through a hand-hold. 

Arm swinging is an efficient form of travelling in trees because it uses gravitational potential (the motion of swinging) and translational kinetics (movement of propelling forward). 

Scientists that have observed Gibbons have shown that they use brachiation for about 80% of their arboreal locomotion.

Brachiators – animals that use brachiation as a form of movement – are able to arm swing due to their short spine, short fingernails (instead of claws), long curved fingers, reduced thumbs, long forearms, wrists that can rotate, and flexible shoulder joints. 

Humans can brachiate for a short period of time, such as when they climb trees and swing from branch to branch, and when they use play-gym equipment – which are often called monkey bars. 

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Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM