Tripedal
Encyclopedia
Tripedal is the term used for (or would be used for) any animal
that stands on three leg
s. The terms bipedal and quadruped
al are used more commonly when referring to animals that either walk on two legs (i.e. human
s who walk upright) or animals such as dogs and cats who walk on four legs.
The terms triped, tripedal and tripedalism are rarely, if ever, used in a real scientific context, as there are no known naturally occurring three-legged animals on Earth
, although the movement of some Macropods such as kangaroo
s, which can alternate between resting their weight on their muscular tails and their two hind legs, may be an example of tripedal locomotion in animals
. There are also the tripod fish
. This fish rests on the ocean bottom on two rays from its two pelvic fins and one ray from its caudal fin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOKdog8zbXw&feature=channel|video).
dog
s and cat
s) who have had one limb
amputated
. With proper medical treatment most of these injured animals can go on to live fairly normal lives, despite being artificially tripedal. There are also cases of mutation
s or birth abnormalities
in animals (and humans) which have resulted in three legs.
or fantasy
theme, such as where mysterious alien
life forms walk upon three legs and on other worldly planets where all the Earthly conventions of two or four legged animals are vastly different.
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
that stands on three leg
Leg
Łęg may refer to the following places in Poland:*A former name for the town of Ełk *Part of the Czyżyny district of Kraków*Łęg, Pleszew County in Greater Poland Voivodeship...
s. The terms bipedal and quadruped
Quadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
al are used more commonly when referring to animals that either walk on two legs (i.e. human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s who walk upright) or animals such as dogs and cats who walk on four legs.
The terms triped, tripedal and tripedalism are rarely, if ever, used in a real scientific context, as there are no known naturally occurring three-legged animals on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, although the movement of some Macropods such as kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, which can alternate between resting their weight on their muscular tails and their two hind legs, may be an example of tripedal locomotion in animals
Terrestrial locomotion in animals
Terrestrial locomotion has evolved as animals adapted from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Locomotion on land raises different problems than that on water, with reduced friction being replaced by the effects of gravity....
. There are also the tripod fish
Tripod fish
Tripod fish, Bathypterois grallator, are a deep-sea benthic fish found at lower latitudes. They are now relatively well known from photographs and submersible observations...
. This fish rests on the ocean bottom on two rays from its two pelvic fins and one ray from its caudal fin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOKdog8zbXw&feature=channel|video).
Quadrupedal amputees and mutations
There are however some three-legged creatures in the world today, namely four-legged animals (such as petPet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s and cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s) who have had one limb
Limb (anatomy)
A limb is a jointed, or prehensile , appendage of the human or other animal body....
amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
. With proper medical treatment most of these injured animals can go on to live fairly normal lives, despite being artificially tripedal. There are also cases of mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s or birth abnormalities
Congenital disorder
A congenital disorder, or congenital disease, is a condition existing at birth and often before birth, or that develops during the first month of life , regardless of causation...
in animals (and humans) which have resulted in three legs.
Use of tripedalism in science fiction and fantasy
Tripedalism is more at home within a science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
theme, such as where mysterious alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
life forms walk upon three legs and on other worldly planets where all the Earthly conventions of two or four legged animals are vastly different.
- In H. G. WellsH. G. WellsHerbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' 1898 novel The War of the WorldsThe War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
a tripedal theme is ever present. Although it is not used in the biological sense (excluding the 2005 cinematic versionWar of the Worlds (2005 film)War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
, which did include three-legged aliens), the Martians use tripedal-themed machines known as TripodsTripod (The War of the Worlds)Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by Martians to invade Earth.-Novel:...
.
- Pierson's Puppeteers are a tripedal alien race in the Known SpaceKnown SpaceKnown Space is the fictional setting of some dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by author Larry Niven. It has also in part been used as a shared universe in the Man-Kzin Wars spin-off anthologies sub-series....
universe by author Larry NivenLarry NivenLaurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
— they have two forelegs and a single hind leg ending in hooved feet and two snake-like heads instead of a humanoid upper body.
- In the Rama seriesRendezvous with RamaRendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd century, the story involves a cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system...
of novels by Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, humans come into contact with a number of extraterrestrial space habitatSpace habitatA space habitat is a space station intended as a permanent settlement rather than as a simple waystation or other specialized facility...
s populated by many forms of life based on a tripedal theme.
- In Wayne BarloweWayne BarloweWayne Douglas Barlowe is an American science fiction and fantasy painter. He has paintedover 300 book and magazine covers and illustrations for many major book publishers, as well as Life magazine, Time, and Newsweek...
's science fiction book ExpeditionExpedition (book)Expedition is the title of a science fiction book by artist-author Wayne Douglas Barlowe. Subtitled "Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D...
(and the TV adaptation Alien PlanetAlien PlanetAlien Planet is a 94-minute docufiction, originally airing on the Discovery Channel, about two internationally built robot probes searching for alien life on the fictional planet Darwin IV. It was based on the book Expedition, by sci-fi/fantasy artist and writer Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who was also...
) some of the creatures on the fictional planet Darwin IVDarwin IVDarwin IV is a fictional planet that was the subject of Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition and the television special, Alien Planet, based on Expedition...
walk on three legs. Barlowe calls them "tripedaliens".
- The TripodsThe TripodsThe Tripods is a series of young adult novels written by John Christopher, beginning in 1967. The first two were the basis of a science fiction TV-series, produced in the United Kingdom in the 1980s....
, a trilogy of novels written by John ChristopherSamuel YoudSamuel Youd is a British author, best known for his science fiction writings under the pseudonym John Christopher, including the novel The Death of Grass and the young adult oriented novel series The Tripods...
, is a post-apocalyptic story set one hundred years after the invasion of Earth by tripedal aliens. The first two novels became the basis of a science fiction TV-series of the same name, produced in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s.
- In Iain M. Banks'Iain BanksIain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
1987 novel Consider PhlebasConsider PhlebasConsider Phlebas, first published in 1987, is a space opera novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. Written after a 1984 draft, it is the first to feature the Culture.-Overview:...
, several of the major alien species are tripedal, the Idirans and the Homomdans, amongst others.
- The 1997 Science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
TV show Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
presented Species 8472Species 8472Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial race in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. They inhabit another dimension called fluidic space. These beings are rendered by animation from Foundation Imaging, Inc...
, an advanced and aggressive tripedal race (they have three, five-jointed legs), who, when encountered are at war with the BorgBorg (Star Trek)The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of...
, they were one of the more unusual alien creatures to be shown in Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.
- In the Deltora series of books by Emily Rodda, there are Tripeds known as Muddlets.
- The character Agent Pleakley from Disney'sThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
Lilo & StitchLilo & StitchThis article is about the movie. For the television series, see Lilo & Stitch: The Series.Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002...
is an alien who walks on three short legs.
- In the computer game Half-LifeHalf-Life (series)The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
(and its sequel Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
) there are numerous tripedal, alien animals seen throughout the series, including Houndeyes, as well as synthetic creatures created by the Combine called Striders and Hunters. Also, it is interesting to note there are a lot of bipedal, sentient, alien species in the game who have three arms, which may have evolved from a tripedal three legs.
- In the PocoyoPocoyoPocoyo is a Spanish pre-school animated television series created by Guillermo García Carsí, Luis Gallego and David Cantolla, and is a co-production between Spanish producer Zinkia Entertainment, Cosgrove-Hall Films and Granada International. Two series have been produced, each consisting of 52...
cartoon, tripedals are again the aliens (in this case, friendly).
- In a 2005 presentation of the PC GamePersonal computer gameA PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
SporeSpore (2008 video game)Spore is a multi-genre single-player god game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems in September 2008 as Spore...
, Will Wright made a tripedal race of aliensExtraterrestrial life in popular cultureIn popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
, now known to fans as the Willosaur.
External links
Illustrated research essay Three-Legged Animals in Mythology and Folklore.See also
- UnipedUnipedThe term uniped refers to a person or creature with only one foot and one leg, as contrasted with a biped and a quadruped . Moving using only one leg is known as unipedal movement. There are no known animals which have naturally evolved with only one leg, although through accidents The term...
- Bipedalism
- Quadrupedalism
- TetrapodTetrapodTetrapods are vertebrate animals having four limbs. Amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are all tetrapods; even snakes and other limbless reptiles and amphibians are tetrapods by descent. The earliest tetrapods evolved from the lobe-finned fishes in the Devonian...
- Terrestrial locomotion
- Extraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
- List of extraterrestrials in fiction
- TriskelionTriskelionA triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry. Both words are from Greek or , "three-legged", from prefix "τρι-" , "three times" + "σκέλος" , "leg"...