Data from: A novel, bounding gait in swimming turtles: implications for aquatic locomotor diversity

Turtles are an iconic lineage in studies of animal locomotion, typifying
the use of slow, alternating footfalls during walking. Alternating
movements of contralateral limbs are also typical during swimming gaits
for most freshwater turtles. Here, we report a novel gait in turtles, in
which the pleurodire Emydura subglobosa swims using a bounding gait that
coordinates bilateral protraction of both forelimbs with bilateral
retraction of both hindlimbs. Use of this bounding gait is correlated with
increased limb excursion and decreased stride frequency, but not increased
velocity when compared to standard swimming strokes. Bounding by E.
subglobosa provides a second example of a non-mammalian lineage that can
use bounding gaits, and may give insight into the evolution of aquatic
flapping. Parallels in limb muscle fascicle properties between bounding
turtles and crocodylids suggest a possible musculoskeletal mechanism
underlying the use of bounding gaits in particular lineages.