They are characterized by cryptic coloration and elaborate webs surrounding the neck, limbs, trunk, and tail. These membranes help to conceal the gecko against trees. When the gecko leaps into the air, the flaps are used to generate lift and allow the gecko to control its fall. It can fly up to 200 feet. Also it does a swoop at the end of its flight to land softly.
9. Flying Squid
Japanese Flying Squid is a squid of the family Ommastrephidae. This animal lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, in the area surrounding Japan, up the full coast of China up to Russia. Flying squid have been observed to cover distances as long as 50 meters above the surface of the water, presumably to avoid predators, uniquely utilizing jet-propelled aerial locomotion.
8. Gliding Ants
Gliding ants are arboreal ants of several different genera that are able to control the direction of their descent when falling from a tree. Living in the rainforest canopy like many other gliders, gliding ants use their gliding to return to the trunk of the tree they live on should they fall or be knocked off a branch. This kind of gliding has evolved independently in a number of species from the groups Cephalotini, Pseudomyrmecinae, and Formicinae in an example of parallel evolution.
7. Mobula Ray
The Mobula Ray is one of Nature’s daredevils. The Mobulas in the Gulf of California do not exceed ten feet, but that’s still a lot of fish leaping from the water. Their appearance is similar to that of Manta rays, which are in the same family. The Devil fish can attain a disc width of up to 5.2 meters and can probably weigh over a ton, second only to the Manta in size. Despite their size, little is known about this genus.
6. Flying Fish
Flying fish are thought to have evolved this remarkable gliding ability to escape predators, of which they have many. Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in tropical and warm subtropical waters. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to hide and escape from predators by leaping out of the water, flying through air a few feet above the water’s surface.
5. Flying Frog
Flying frogs have evolved independently among 3,400 species of frogs from both New World and Old World families and their evolution is seen as an adaptation to their life in trees, high above the ground. There are many different species of flying frogs; here is a small portion of the very interesting types of these amazing animals:Annam flying frog, Rhacophorus Annamensis, inhabit in the annamese jungles in Southeast Asia.
4. Flying Snake
Flying snake is a misnomer, since, barring a strong updraft, these animals can’t actually gain altitude. Flying snakes are able to glide better than flying squirrels and other gliding animals, despite the lack of limbs, wings, or any other wing-like projections, gliding through the forest and jungle it inhabits with the distance being as great as 100 m.
3. Flying Squirrel
Flying squirrels are not capable of powered flight like birds or bats; instead, they glide between trees. They are capable of obtaining lift within the course of these flights, with flights recorded to 90 meters. Though their life expectancy in the wild is six years, flying squirrels may live fifteen years in captivity. This is due to these creatures being important prey animals. Predation mortality rates in sub-adults are high. Predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, nocturnal owls, martens, fishers, coyotes, and the domestic cat.
2. Flying Lizards
The flying lizard is a slender, long-legged, small lizard. It measures 8 inches from head to tail tip. It has winglike body parts formed from thin skin stretched over extra-long ribs. The lizards are well-known for their ‘display structures’ and ability to glide long distances using their wing-like patagial membranes supported by elongated thoracic ribs to generate lift forces.
1. Philippine Flying Lemur
The Philippine Flying Lemur is arboreal and usually resides in primary and secondary forests. However, some wander into coconut, banana and rubber plantations. They are considered pests, since they eat fruits and flowers and so, are hunted down by humans. The female Philippine Flying Lemur usually gives birth to one young after a two-month gestation period. The young is helpless and attaches itself to its mother’s belly, in a pouch fashioned from the mother’s skin flaps.
