The Extremely Fast Animals in Your Yard - Springtails

Collembola (commonly called springtails) are the smallest, fastest, and most common arthropods living in the soil, right in your backyard. I've been working on describing there super-fast jumps, filming them up-close and in ultra slow motion!

The elongate-bodied/slender springtail (family: Entomobryidae) in the beginning and throughout the video is (probably) in the genus Homidia. The globular springtail (family: Dicyrtomidae) is (probably) in the genus Dicyrtomina. But, the specimens need to be evaluated by a taxonomic expert for an accurate species ID.

Check out the other 2 springtail research videos on this channel:

[bucky]

These crazy high frame rate cameras must be such a revolutionary tool for this kind of research. They basically increase our resolution of time by orders of magnitude.

[-beee-]

This channel is the very best. Every time, I feel like I'm experiencing science happening right in front of me. Absolutely love it!

[meta.aesthetica]

Fantastic footage!!!! Springtails are essential in terrarium builds so anyone making them will be very familiar with these little dudes, but to see them at this speed and detail is honestly incredible. This put a massive smile on my face! Props to you for getting this footage, it must have been quite frustrating at times haha. Thank you!

[andrebeller]

Hey, thanks for having us! We're excited, too.

[vomm]

I can't get enough of your videos.

[lukassjogren]

Its nice to be able to get a closer look at springtails! I have a bunch of them in my terrariums, I always thought they'd look more like chunky centipedes with less legs

[brendan]

I’ve seen these things before. When i was a kid I watched them seemingly blink in and out of existence, they jumped from one place to another so quickly my new, inexperienced mind couldn’t keep up. My brain had never been forced to keep up with something that fast before. That was how I first learned to hit a moving target. Strange how these small experiences shape mental development.

[AsioEntomo]

Dropped everything when I saw you had a new upload! I just got hired for my first entomology position doing field work this summer, and I couldn't be more excited. A new ant lab video on the same day was just the icing on the cake!

[LegoCookieDoggie]

One of my favorite animal in recent years is the gobular springtail and their many colors

[infinitivez]

wow, I never knew these little guys looked like really. I only ever seen them hopping around from way up and never knew where they like to hide. Thanks for this! This footage is super awesome!!!

[blackvx]

Do you have audio recording too? I imagine them yelling

Seriously though, your photography skills to capture these critters are amazing. Thanks for sharing with us!

[Cervitaur]

Just subscribed because I love seeing people talk about something they love! Mad respect for folks with PhDs, I can tell you have such a passion for what you do!

[penny_the_wiser]

I'm so thankful for these videos. It's amazing to see insects in slow motion and see how they jump and fly is incredible.

[suzaynnschick]

All the thumbs up to you! One of the most important things we can do as humans is learn more about the world we live in.

[osmia]

I love how much you share with us. And thanks to vision research for them lending you their camera

[lostinthelegs]

Amazing video! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us, I'm glad there's people out there who care about these little dudes as much as I do 💕

[foxcaty]

the clickbait nature of this title/thumbnail combo is making me laugh so much
EXTREMELY FAST ANIMALS??? IN /MY/ YARD???
<- IN YOUR YARD

That being said, incredible footage and I'm so thrilled to get a closer look at a variety of springtail body plans! Such amazing animals that I wish I could appreciate better with my naked eye.

[MrRudyc]

Thanks for your patience and dedication to your work. It benefits all who are interested. From one N. Carolinian to another!

[concretecurse]

I selfishly wish you put out more videos. They're too interesting, amazing really. That's got to be one expensive camera, if it's even something you can buy.

[dianahellman]

The difference is really neat to see!! Do you think there is a difference anatomically between how the two furculae are formed? It would be cool if you worked with another researcher the way you did on the snapjaw ants to make a model of them. Also, what a cool high-speed camera to be able to play with!! So much detailed work... you have a ton of patience!