9 Animals That Can Fly Even Without Having Wings

Having the freedom to cross the sky in free flight is a dream as old as man himself. That’s why, even today, one of the greatest inventions of humanity is the aircraft. But, did you know that it is not always necessary to have wings to fly?

Here in the awesome.club we are always looking for alternatives to win the skies! Next, we’ll show you nine animals that can do it without flapping their wings (which they don’t actually have!). Want to know how they do it? Check with us!

He’s not even as rare as he looks! In the world, there are more than 45 species of Pteromyini — the scientific name of this tribe of squirrels that have the ability to fly.

With nocturnal habits, this cute rodent has, in addition to large eyes, a well-differentiated anatomy. A membrane connects the hind legs to the front legs. With this, he can make gliding flights, usually from one tree to another.

Despite not having the ability to move on the ground, precisely because of the membranes between its paws, the flying squirrel can stay in the air for distances of up to 80 meters. It’s quite a flight, huh!

If you’re thinking about vacationing in Costa Rica, there’s a good chance you’ll see a stingray in flight. The species, called Manta Ray, is predominant in that region.

However, she is in several points of the globe! The flying stingray is very common in the Mediterranean Sea and around the islands of the Azores, where it is called manta or sea bat. And it’s not that she even looks like a bat, in much larger proportions, of course!

The flying stingray can reach a wingspan of up to seven meters. She weighs over a ton, but when she decides to go for a walk above the surface, it’s impressive to see the resourcefulness of this giant!

In general, it can fly, flapping its “wings” up to two meters in height. To complete the show, the stingrays always walk in groups and usually spin around in the air. A beautiful spectacle, isn’t it?

And since we are at sea, how about meeting a fish capable of flying for up to 50 meters on the surface of the water? The flying fish is common in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

With only 25 centimeters in length, it can sustain itself in the air and fly at up to 70 km/h, opening its pectoral fins, which look like wings. Before taking off, it swims at high speed very close to the sea surface.

The bluish body, the reddish fins and the silver spots on the sides of the body guarantee even more brightness to the flight of this beautiful specimen of the oceans, which also has another little help from nature: the bipartite tail, which works as a rudder and outboard motor. .

Originally from Southeast Asia, this little frog can fly up to 15 meters in paratrooper style. This feature makes it also known as a parachute frog.

Due to a membrane she has between her fingers, she can move through the air with ease. Thus, it gains the ability to escape predators.

This species lives exclusively in trees and descends to the ground only during the breeding season to lay eggs. Because she is small – no more than 10 centimeters – and with relatively large feet, she achieves more stability when landing.

If you come across a little frog along the way and you’re not sure whether or not it’s a flying frog, you just need to look at the coloring. This species is bright green and has yellow spots on its sides. Want one more tip? The interdigital membranes are normally quite dark.

He looks like a cartoon character. The small ears almost glued to the large eyes make this species of lemur a very “different” type. And as if that weren’t enough, he’s still able to fly — without having wings!

The colugo (that’s the real name of this cutie!) is considered a climbing mammal. Of medium size, he rarely exceeds 45 centimeters in length and has an unusual ability: he can perform small flights, gliding in the air.

Despite being essentially a climber, this is not the flying lemur’s strong point. The reason for this difficulty is the extension of the membranes that leave the shoulder blade, pass through the front legs and extend to the hind toes.

It is this structure that allows the small mammal to fly up to 60 meters between trees. Amazing, isn’t it?

When walking through rainforests in South America or Central America, look up! It is in the treetops that a species of ants lives that, even without wings, are capable of executing controlled vertical decisions.

With almost a centimeter in length, it is the flattened hind legs that guarantee stability when landing. The flying ant uses what we call flight to avoid falling to the ground, where it would be easy prey for many predators.

On descent, a flying ant can reach a speed of up to four meters per second. To avoid falling to the ground, she does abdominal movements to orient herself in the air and uses her flattened head as a rudder.

A perfect piece of aerial engineering, don’t you agree?

Imagine being able to float up to 24 meters in the air with just the control of your muscles… That’s what this cute little snake can do!

Originally from Southeast Asia, it is around 80 centimeters long and feeds on birds, bats and lizards. Unlike the other animals we saw throughout the postthe flying snake does not have any differentiated structure that facilitates the flight.

It accomplishes this feat by utilizing a large take-off force — produced by straightening the side curves of the body — and the flattened shape to its benefit, reconfiguring its shape during flight to reach the desired point.

Its aerodynamics are so sophisticated that it is used as a basis for studies for solutions in the aeronautical industry and even in military strategies.

This one flies! In fact, it is correct to say “these fly”, in the plural. This is because to date, 31 species of flying lizards have been cataloged. Common in the rainforests of Asia and India, including the Philippines and Borneo, they have an elongated body that allows flights of up to 34 times their own length.

Thus, a 20 centimeter lizard can stay in the sky for up to 8 meters, approximately. But there are records of some flights that go beyond 60 meters in range. Usual inhabitant of native trees, it feeds on ants and termites and moves using the technique of gliding to move in the forest, flying between the trees.

Unlike winged animals, the lizard never flies under rain or wind. And, as contradictory as it may seem, to take off, he points his head towards the ground and then jumps.

In the air, it extends its front and hind legs and projects a membrane that guarantees flight stability. Some folds in the skin of the neck also open up and increase the area of ​​support for the flying lizard’s body.

To close our list, how about getting to know a little more about this almost mythological animal? The best-known species of the genus Draco is the Flying Dragon — the Draco Volans — which, like its relatives, is capable of soaring in the air in flights that can reach eight meters in distance.

A differential in this species is that, while the females fly between trees in search of insects to feed the family, the males usually glide around the place where they live to mark their territory.

Also, they rarely descend to the ground. But, if that happens, the membranes used as “wings” also guarantee agility to move in a gliding way on dry land.

O draco volans measures between seven and 15 centimeters and has a dewlap in the lateral region of the abdomen. During the flight, this structure opens, simulating a small parachute that gives sustainability to the lizard’s body, in a colorful ballet between the branches of the trees.

And you, do you know any other animal that got a little push from mother nature to fly even without having wings? Which of our trivia above impressed you the most? Tell us in the comments.