They are probably flying snakes, which can move about 100 meters in the air and even make 90-degree turns. Flying frogs glide in the air for up to 15 meters, a distance 750 times greater than their own size – it is as if a 1.7-meter man “flys” 1,275 meters!
Flying, however, is not exactly the most appropriate verb to define the air travel of these wingless animals. What they do is use body parts to glide or control vertical falls as if using a parachute, slowing their descent towards the ground.
In addition to flying snakes, the popular name given to five species of the genus Chrysopelea, frogs, squirrels, fish, lizards and even ants can move in a controlled manner in the air. They use “flight” to escape predators, chase prey, or simply hop from place to place.
Indomitable Aces
Animals adapt body parts to gain stability and hover in the air
FLYING SERPENT
WHERE IT LIVES: South and Southeast Asia
SIZE: 1.20 m
DISTANCE ACHIEVED WHEN FLYING: 100 meters
RATIO BETWEEN FLIGHT DISTANCE AND SIZE: 83 times
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Gliding
HOW THE BICHO IS: Endowed with fangs at the bottom of the mouth, it manages to inject a small amount of venom into its victims, but it is harmless to us humans. It uses flight to escape from monkeys and other predators or to capture the animals it eats (birds, frogs and bats)
1- After jumping from a high place, like the top of a tree, your body is completely flattened, similar to the airfoil of a car.
2- Moving her head, which is higher than the rest of her body, she creates undulating movements to control direction and make radical curves, up to 90º.
FLYING SQUIRREL
WHERE IT LIVES: Forests of Asia, Europe and North America
SIZE: 21 to 25 cm
DISTANCE ACHIEVED WHEN FLYING: 80 meters
RATIO BETWEEN FLIGHT DISTANCE AND SIZE: 320 times
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Gliding
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: The belly has light or cream-colored fur and the back is gray or brownish-red. There are more than 35 species of flying squirrels, which fly to get around and escape predators.
1- After jumping from the branch of a tree, he opens his four legs, connected by thin membranes.
2- The membranes increase its contact surface with the air, forming a kind of wing that helps it hover.
3- The tail, flat and wide, is the rudder that guides the flight. To brake, the animal closes its body and slows down.
GLIDER FROG
WHERE IT LIVES: Malaysia and the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia
SIZE: 1.5 to 2 cm
DISTANCE ACHIEVED WHEN FLYING: 15 meters
RATIO BETWEEN FLIGHT DISTANCE AND SIZE: 750 times
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Skydiving
WHAT THE BICHO IS LIKE: The frog feeds on insects and invertebrates that live in the forest. Its body is mostly green with the sides of the legs and belly yellowish. The flight serves to cushion the fall of trees.
1- She jumps from the top of the trees and keeps the palms of her paws open. The rear ones are larger, ensuring the necessary thrust for takeoff.
2- The expanded membranes existing between its long fingers stop the fall, as if they were a set of parachutes.
FLYING LIZARD
WHERE IT LIVES: Rainforests of Asia and India, including the Philippines and Borneo
SIZE: 19 to 23 cm
DISTANCE ACHIEVED WHEN FLYING: 8 meters
RATIO BETWEEN FLIGHT DISTANCE AND SIZE: 34 times
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Gliding
WHAT THE BICHO IS LIKE: Its body is elongated and brownish. Known as the “flying dragon”, it lives in trees and eats ants and termites. Gliding is used only as a means of locomotion. To get away from enemies, he climbs trees.
1- The lizard never flies in rain or wind. When taking off, it points its head towards the ground.
2- In the air, extends the front and back legs and moves the ribs to the sides, projecting an extensive membrane.
3- Support is maintained thanks to folds of skin on the neck, which open during flight.
FLYING ANT
WHERE IT LIVES: In the treetops of the tropical forests of South and Central America
SIZE: Almost 1 cm
DISTANCE ACHIEVED BY FLYING: It does not make horizontal flights, but controlled vertical descents
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Skydiving
WHAT THE BICHO IS LIKE: It has a flattened head and hind legs. It uses flight to return to the tree trunk and avoid falling to the ground, where it could be targeted by predators. Their flight was discovered by scientist Stephen Yanoviak in 2004.
1- When falling from the top of the tree where it lives, the insect, the only one without wings to “fly”, reaches a relatively high speed of 4 meters per second.
2- To avoid falling to the ground or the flooded forest floor, she makes abdominal movements to orient herself in the air towards the trunk of her tree. Its flattened head acts as a rudder.
3- Scientists still haven’t fully clarified the landing mechanism, but they know that it uses the claws of the hind legs to stick to the tree.
FLYING FISH
WHERE IT LIVES: Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans
SIZE: 25cm
DISTANCE ACHIEVED WHEN FLYING: 30 to 50 meters
RATIO BETWEEN FLIGHT DISTANCE AND SIZE: 200 times
TYPE OF FLIGHT: Gliding
WHAT THE BICHO IS LIKE: It has a bluish body, a blue-gray back, silver sides and a light belly. The pelvic fins are short and the pectorals well developed. It is believed to fly to escape predators.
1- With the fins glued to the body, it swims quickly very close to the surface before taking off.
2- When it comes out of the water, the fish opens its pectoral fins, which look like two wings.
3- It also quickly moves the bipartite tail, which is used as the rudder and engine of the flight.