Rectilinear locomotion

Rectilinear locomotion or rectilinear progression is a mode of locomotion most often associated with snakes. In particular, it is associated with heavy-bodied species such as terrestrial African adders, pythons and boas; however, most snakes are capable of it.^[1] It is one of at least five forms of locomotion used by snakes, the others being lateral undulation, sidewinding, concertina movement, and slide-pushing.^[2]^[3] Unlike all other modes of snake locomotion, which include the snake bending its body, the snake flexes its body only when turning in rectilinear locomotion.^[1]^[4]

^ ^a ^b C. Gans (1986). Locomotion of Limbless Vertebrates: Pattern and Evolution.
^ Gray, J. (1946). "The mechanism of locomotion in snakes" (PDF). The Journal of Experimental Biology. 23 (2): 101–120. doi:10.1242/jeb.23.2.101. PMID 20281580.
^ Gans, Carl (1984). "Slide-pushing: a transitional locomotor method of elongate squamates". Symposium of the Zoological Society of London. 52: 12–26.
^ Bogert, Charles (1947). "Rectilinear locomotion in snakes". Copeia. 1947 (4): 253–254. doi:10.2307/1438921. JSTOR 1438921.

[C._Gans_1986-1] C. Gans (1986). Locomotion of Limbless Vertebrates: Pattern and Evolution.

[Locomotion-2] Gray, J. (1946). "The mechanism of locomotion in snakes" (PDF). The Journal of Experimental Biology. 23 (2): 101–120. doi:10.1242/jeb.23.2.101. PMID 20281580.

[3] Gans, Carl (1984). "Slide-pushing: a transitional locomotor method of elongate squamates". Symposium of the Zoological Society of London. 52: 12–26.

[4] Bogert, Charles (1947). "Rectilinear locomotion in snakes". Copeia. 1947 (4): 253–254. doi:10.2307/1438921. JSTOR 1438921.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]