Jun 14, 2024
Gliding is a fascinating form of locomotion in the animal kingdom, enabling movement across spaces without wings. These ten creatures showcase incredible adaptability and evolutionary ingenuity.
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Certain tropical tree ants can glide back to their tree trunk if displaced, orienting themselves mid-air and controlling their descent to avoid the ground below.
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The colugo, or flying lemur, possesses one of the most extensive gliding membranes, connecting from the neck to the fingertips to the toes, enabling impressive glides through its forest habitat.
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Prepare to be amazed by the flying fish. It propels itself out of the water using rapid tail movements, then spreads its pectoral fins to glide over the ocean surface. This incredible manoeuvre helps it escape underwater predators and provides a breathtaking spectacle for any observer.
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Wallace's flying frog uses oversized webbed feet to glide through the air, making remarkable leaps that carry it safely across vast gaps between trees in its rainforest home.
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Some geckos, like the paradise flying gecko, can glide using flaps of skin along their bodies and webbed feet to steer, efficiently moving between trees in their habitat.
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The flying dragon lizard leaps from tree branches, spreading wide flaps of skin supported by elongated ribs to glide, using this ability to escape predators and seek mates.
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The paradise tree snake, a true marvel of nature, flattens its body into a concave shape to catch air. It then glides from tree to tree in the lush Southeast Asian forests, its aerial agility a mesmerizing sight for any observer.
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Many tiny spiders use their silk to catch the wind, allowing them to 'balloon' and glide long distances for dispersal. They even cross oceans to colonise new areas.
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Some squid species leap out of the water and glide by spreading their fins and jetting water from their funnel, a method used for travel and evasion.
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The flying squirrel, a master of gliding, doesn't fly in the traditional sense. Instead, it gracefully glides between trees, using a patagium, a membrane stretching from its wrists to ankles. This remarkable adaptation not only aids in its escape from predators but also facilitates its travel, showcasing the incredible survival benefits of gliding.
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