Ok, so the first 10 of these creatures aren't actually true flyers, they're considered gliders and some of them can travel great distances through the air using different tactics. Mostly these evasive maneuvers are used to outsmart potential predators and to flee from danger.
Flying Snakes... This is what nightmares are made of. There are 5 different species of these flying snakes. They will flatten out their bodies and slither off the end of a branch, making twists and turns through the length of their bodies to make them "fly" through air. Could you imagine having one of these flying through the air towards you? Good thing they are considered harmless to humans! |
These Flying Fish have developed an ingenious way to escape predators. When they are about to become dinner, they are able to skim their tails over the surface of the water to propel themselves up and out of harms way. They open their "wings" and can float through the air above the water at a distance of up to 50m. |
Mobula Rays can grow up to 10 feet long and they can be seen soaring up to 2m out of the water in a strange and acrobatic display, flapping it's pectoral fins up and down like wings, somersaulting through the air, high vertical leaps and belly flopping back into the water. |
This Giant Golden-Crowned Fruit Bat is often referred to as a "Flying Fox"... I think you can see why. When I think of bats I generally don't think of something quite this enormous. This behemoth megabat can have a wingspan of over 5 feet! We all know that bats can fly, but this bat's sheer size was definitely worth mentioning. |