Video reveals that springtails are tiny acrobats
The animals' emergency jumps are more controlled than scientists realized
![two springtails standing on a flat surface against a black backdrop](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/110722_m_springtail_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
One tiny springtail (left) prepares to launch itself high off of a water surface with far more acrobatic control than researchers have recognized. The other springtail shows how easily these little animals stroll on water.
V.M. Ortega-Jiménez