# Quadruped locomotion: only four modes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2015, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846 "2015-06-18T13:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/1 "2015-06-18T13:03:41Z")
Walk, trot, canter, gallop. To my knowledge, these are the only four basic modes in which a quadruped moves its feet to travel in a forward direction. Are there other modes that are fundamentally different from these four? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/2 "2015-06-18T13:16:23Z")
Crawling and swimming. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/3 "2015-06-18T13:31:19Z")
Double suspension gallop: when all four feet are off the ground simultaneously twice in one stride. See: cheetah, greyhound 😃 My male greyhound also does a pretty cute “rocking horse” when he’s feeling playful. Front feet off the ground together, back feet off the ground together. Basically I think intelligent bipeds can be pretty creative when they’re feeling punchy. ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/4 "2015-06-18T13:43:58Z")
There is also the pace where the front and rear legs on the same side move together (as opposed to the diagonal pairing of the trot). ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/5 "2015-06-18T13:46:28Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Basically I think intelligent bipeds can be pretty creative when they’re feeling punchy. Need more coffee. Of course I meant quadruped, not biped. Derp! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/6 "2015-06-18T13:47:52Z")
Does goats hopping around count as one of the previously-listed gaits? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/7 "2015-06-18T13:57:27Z")
> [@Stana\_Claus](#): > > There is also the pace where the front and rear legs on the same side move together (as opposed to the diagonal pairing of the trot). Which is actually called “pacing”, at least in horses, and provides an example for the OP of something besides the four listed. I seem to recall hearing that dogs tend to pace rather than trot when they are tired. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/8 "2015-06-18T13:58:00Z")
We use “lope” but I believe it’s simply a Western substitution for canter. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/9 "2015-06-18T14:05:00Z")
Re: dogs pacing. Apparently, it depends on the dog: [https://agilitynut.wordpress.com/2007/02/04/pacing-or-trotting/](https://agilitynut.wordpress.com/2007/02/04/pacing-or-trotting/) (blasted five minute edit window) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/10 "2015-06-18T14:43:10Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Does goats hopping around count as one of the previously-listed gaits? This is called pronking, where the animal uses all four legs simultaneously to leap off the ground. [Gazelles like to do it.](https://www.google.com/search?q=gazelle+pronking&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS421US421&espv=2&biw=1049&bih=747&tbm=isch&imgil=bt76fRlZl0kbsM%253A%253B0e6XCTC-dhcBTM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.vulkaner.no%25252Fn%25252Fafrica%25252Fgazelle-e.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=bt76fRlZl0kbsM%253A%252C0e6XCTC-dhcBTM%252C_&dpr=1&usg=__YXrFB6ZhgoF4E-3DIdl7oHC8Db8%3D&ved=0CEQQyjc&ei=Nc2CVdm9KsPYmgXIsoD4Cw#tbm=isch&q=gazelle+pronking) ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/11 "2015-06-18T14:53:06Z")
Ian Stewart’s _Life’s Other Secret_ has a chapter on animal locomotion, much of which discusses a model of quadruped gaits. The four commonest quadruped gaits are walk, trot, pace (rack), canter, transverse gallop, rotary gallop, bound and pronk. Although Stewart doesn’t mention it, amble is often treated as a separate gait; a walk alternates between 2- and 3-legged support but, due to speed, the amble alternates between 1- and 2-legged support. Stewart comments that camels pace but never trot, while most horses trot but never pace. (In trot, pace, and bound, two legs touch the ground simultaneously with the other pair touching the ground half a cycle later. The left foreleg is paired with right hind, left hind, right fore for trot, pace, bound respectively.) Wildebeest change from walk to canter when speeding up, bypassing trot; most horses have to be trained to canter. While horses and most quadrupeds use the transverse gallop, dogs and deer use rotary gallop. Young crocodiles, but not adults, can do both types of gallop. Squirrels and dogs can bound; deer and gazelle can pronk. An elephant can only walk or amble. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/12 "2015-06-18T14:55:34Z")
Pity, I’d pay good money to see an elephant pronk. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/13 "2015-06-18T15:55:50Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > The **[del]four[/del]** commonest quadruped gaits are walk, trot, pace (rack), canter, transverse gallop, rotary gallop, bound and pronk. Eight. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/14 "2015-06-18T16:16:27Z")
What about kangaroos? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/15 "2015-06-18T16:25:03Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > What about kangaroos? Muybridge called the motion “ricochet,” but that’s not quadropedal. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/16 "2015-06-18T16:30:45Z")
Tripedal, I guess, since the tail is integral to the physics of the motion. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/17 "2015-06-18T17:08:35Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > What about kangaroos? Wouldn’t that be bounding? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/18 "2015-06-18T18:29:11Z")
Don’t prairie dogs “mosey”? **:::runs for very life:::** ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/19 "2015-06-19T10:19:28Z")
Then there’s that bizarre species that famously walks on all fours in the morning, on twos all day, and on threes in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846/20 "2015-06-19T10:28:26Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Pity, I’d pay good money to see an elephant pronk. It would be the last thing you ever saw… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadruped-locomotion-only-four-modes/722846.md?page=2)