1. Leaping or jumping, or sudden jumps or leaps: One example of a saltation is when there are grasshoppers jumping out of the way when someone walks in the grass.

Multitudes of saltations take place with locusts; especially, when they are disturbed by creatures walking around among them while they are eating plants in uncultivated fields or on farms.

2. Development or transition that takes place in bounds or bounces: There are several species that move around with saltations and squirrels and rats are among the most common examples.
3. The abrupt evolutionary development of a new species: Saltations can be a result of genetic mutations or sudden changes of a species in a single generation or from one generation to the next one.

In its extreme form, saltation is no longer considered valid by most modern evolutionary biologists.

4. The skpping movement of particles of soil or sand in the wind or in running water, characterized by bouncing movements: When soils or sand are characterized by saltations, they are usually caused by movements over some kind of irregular or uneven surfaces; for example, rocks or other uneven areas.