This is thanks to their righting reflex, a unique survival mechanism that allows them to twist midair and adjust their bodies for a perfect landing. But how does it actually work? And can cats ...

The team's paper, "Recovery Mechanisms in the Dragonfly Righting Reflex," published May 12 in Science. Wang co-authored the paper with James Melfi, Ph.D. '15, and Anthony Leonardo of Howard Hughes ...

Animal experts say that the righting reflex is observable in kittens as ... a cat reaches maximum speed and that vestibular mechanism in its ear shuts off. As a result, the cat relaxes.

Cats are known for their remarkable ability to land on their feet—a survival mechanism called the "cat righting reflex." This develops in kittens between 3-9 weeks of age and enables them to ...

In fact, although dead dragonflies couldn't initially perform the righting maneuver ... could help engineers incorporate passive stability mechanisms into their wing structure." ...

Cats are masters of contortion — and the laws of physics — which helps them stick the landing more times than not. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.