Arboreal

Arboreal is an adjective describing organisms, behaviors, or life histories associated with trees. The term comes from the Latin arbor, meaning tree, with the suffix -eal indicating pertaining to. In common usage, arboreal most often refers to animals that live in trees or rely on trees for feeding, shelter, or movement.

In zoology, arboreality denotes a lifestyle adapted to life in the forest canopy and among branches. Arboreal animals typically exhibit locomotor and sensory adaptations such as grasping limbs and digits, flexible joints, and, in some species, prehensile tails or feet. They may move by climbing, leaping, brachiation, or slow, deliberate creeping. Examples include many primates (such as gibbons and macaques), sloths, tree frogs, snakes, and a wide range of birds and insects. Arboreal adaptations often reduce predation risk, exploit food resources in the canopy, or enable social and foraging strategies that differ from terrestrial species.

Ecologically, arboreal organisms contribute to forest structure and dynamics, participating in processes like seed dispersal, pollination, and nutrient cycling. The canopy presents challenges such as spatial fragmentation and exposure to wind or drought, making arboreal species particularly sensitive to deforestation and habitat loss.

In botany and ecology, arboreal can describe organisms or life histories associated with trees. While primarily used for animals, the term can also appear in discussions of tree-dwelling or tree-associated life forms, including epiphytic communities that inhabit the trunks and branches of trees.