Wingless animals that can fly like birds

What animal has no wings but can fly? This article will summarize for you the flying animals so that when asked what animal has no wings but can fly, you can answer right away!

Colugos

Colugos (Cynocephalidae) can fly 100 m or more between trees, making them one of the most adept fliers of mammals. They are found in Southeast Asia and are sometimes called flying lemurs.

Their membrane, the patagium, is similar to that of flying squirrels except that it starts at the face and covers the tips of the fingers and toes all the way to the tail.

The colugo's limbs and tail are long and slender, its feet are wide and have sharp, backward-curved claws for climbing. Its light skeleton and large surface area of ​​the patagium make it an excellent flight animal.

Colugos have large eyes that give them excellent depth perception, allowing them to glide between trees and land safely. They are such skilled gliders that they can carry their young in their bellies until they are old enough to fly on their own.

Flying squid

This squid species, also known as 'Japanese flying squid', 'Pacific flying squid', or Todarodes pacificus, can fly about 30m above the water surface to avoid predators and save energy when migrating.

This species of flying squid lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, including the central coast of Vietnam. They often live in waters near the surface of the sea. Their food when they are young is plankton, when they are adults they eat fish and crustaceans, and even eat each other.

Snake flying paradise

The body of this snake can be flattened to the maximum, allowing them to undulate as if they were crawling on the ground while flying. They can fly from tree to tree with a distance of up to 24m. During flight, their tail acts as a balance control, helping them fly further. This strange snake lives in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Mobula Flying Stingray

Mobula flying stingrays have a large body size with a width that can reach 5.2m and a weight that can reach 1 ton.

During mating season, male stingrays can jump up to 3 meters above the water surface, hover in the air for a few seconds, then fall back to the water to attract a mate.

Flying fish

Flying fish (Exocoetidae) have very large pectoral fins that enable them to leap out of the water and fly several meters above the surface. This ability helps flying fish escape predators.

Malabar Flying Frog

The Malabar flying frog can use its webbed feet to form a parachute-like organ to help it quickly descend from treetops to the ground when encountering predators.

Southern Flying Squirrel

This flying squirrel has a layer of skin on both sides of its body that extends from its forelimbs to its hind limbs, which can easily be expanded to act as a flexible parachute, allowing the animal to fly distances of up to 30 feet without touching the ground. Meanwhile, its tail is used as a rudder.

Draco the Flying Lizard

These lizards have exceptionally long ribs that can be extended and retracted at will. Between the ribs is a neatly folded and folded skin that extends along the body and can open and act as wings when needed, allowing them to soar up to 30 feet (9 m). Their long, tapered tail acts as a rudder to steer their flight.

Spider

Although they don't have wings, spiders can 'fly' quite a distance in a very clever way. They will release a thin, light, elastic silk thread and take advantage of the wind to swing themselves onto the silk thread when they need to fly.

Jessica Tanner

Update 09 December 2024