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FEATURE ARTICLE

Oriental fl ying gurnard (Dactyloptera orientalis)

Carribean fl ying gurnard (Dactyloptera volitans) Fliers Without Prafulla Kumar Mohanty Four-winged fl ying fi sh Feathers & Damayanti Nayak (Cypselurus californicus) LIGHT is an amazing 2. Flying squid: In the Flying squid accomplishment that evolved (Todarodes pacifi cus), commonly Ffi rst in the insects and was called Japanese fl ying squid, the mantle observed subsequently up to the encloses the visceral mass of the squid, mammalian class. However, the word and has two enlarged lateral fi ns. The ‘fl ying’ brings to mind pictures of birds squid has eight arms and two tentacles only. with suction cups along the backs. But there are many other fl yers other In between the arms sits the mouth, than birds in the animal kingdom who inside the mouth a rasping organ called have mastered the art of being airborne. radula is present. Squids have ink sacs, Japanese fl ying squid Different body structures and peculiar which they use as a defence mechanism organs contribute to the aerodynamic against predators. Membranes are stability of these organisms. Let’s take present between the tentacles. They 40 cm in length respectively. When a look at some of them. can fl y more than 30 m in 3 seconds they leave water for the air, sea birds uniquely utilising their jet-propelled such as frigates, albatrosses, and gulls aerial locomotion. 1. Gliding ant: Gliding ants are liable to attack. Its body lifts above (Cephalotes atrautus) are arboreal ants the surface, it spread its fi ns and taxis 3. Flying gurnard: Flying gurnards along the surface, with the lower lobe of of several different genera that are able have pectoral fi ns that help them to fl y. its tail fi n moving in a sculling action. to control the direction of descent while While fl ying their pectoral fi ns span The lower lobe of its tail is longer than falling from a tree. They measure up to 15 cm spread full, and they are airborne the upper lobe and is vibrated up to one centimetre long. While gliding they for about 2 seconds only. But they seem 50 beats per second. It takes off at 18 hold their legs elevated and outstretched to be gliding in a controlled manner. above the main body, and their bulbous meter/second and lands with its belly or posterior body segment is fi xed slightly 4. Flying fi sh: There are two types dives head down at a speed of 9 meter/ below the body axis. This confi guration of herring-like fl ying fi shes namely the second. Each fl ight or leap may cover is aerodynamically stable and creates a two-winged and the four-winged fl ying up to 137 m and lasts up to 10 seconds. fforceorce that pushespushes the ant backwards in a fi shes. Two-winged fl ying fi shes only coccontrolledn glide. They can have enlarged pectoral fi ns, and in four- 5. Flying mobula: They have mamakek 180 degree turns in winged fl ying fi shes both the pelvic and triangular pectoral fi ns, horn-shaped thtthe mid-air. pectoral fi ns are enlarged, making two cephalic fi ns and a large forward facing Gliding ant pairs of wings measuring 30 cm and mouth. They can attain a disc width up

42 | Science Reporter | April 2018 Southern fl ying kizard

Flying frog (Draco dussumieri)

Common fl ying dragon (Draco volans)

Flying mobula Flying gecko fl oor and for hunting preys. To prepare for take-off, a fl ying snake slithers to the end of a branch and dangles in a to 5.2 m and can probably weigh over 8. Flying gecko: Flying gecko J-shape. It then propels itself from the a ton. Mobula rays can reach heights (Ptychozoon) is a genus of arboreal branch with the lower half of its body, of more than two metres and remain geckos endemic to Southeast Asia.They forms an S quickly and fl attens its body airborne for several seconds, then land are characterised by cryptic coloration twice its normal width. By undulating with a loud bang with their belly and and elaborated webs surrounding the back and forth the snake can make fl op back into the sea. The higher they neck, limbs, trunk and tail. These turns. leap, the bigger is the bang. membranes help the gecko to conceal the gecko against the trees .When the 11. Flying phalanger: In the Flying gecko leaps into the air, the fl aps are 6. Flying frog: Flying frogs include phalanger the gliding membrane is used to generate lift and allow gecko members of three different genera narrow, fringed with long hairs and to control its fall. It can fl y up to a such as Ecnomiohyla, Polypedates and stretches from the forelimbs to the hind distance of 61 m. Rhacophorus. Alfred Russel Wallace limbs. In greater glider the patagium is gave the earliest report of the fl ying a broader web of furred skin stretching frog. The species he observed was 9. Flying lizard: In the Flying lizard from the fi fth toe on the fore foot to the described as Wallace’s fl ying frog ribs are connected with membranes and ankle of the hind leg. The tail is bushy. (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus). These extended to create wing-like structures Their glides are very sudden and swift. are characterised by enlarged hands and called ‘patagia’. Hind limbs are The gliding feats are most spectacular feet, full webbing between all fi ngers fl attened with a fl ap on the neck which in the greater glider, one is recorded as and toes, lateral skin fl aps on the arms serves as a horizontal stabiliser. They having covered 539 m in six successive and legs, and reduced weight per snout- can glide up to 61 m using their patagia glides. During a glide, phalangers lose vent length. These morphological supported by elongated thoracic ribs to height, and having landed on the next changes contribute to the fl ying frog’s generate lift forces. tree they run rapidly up the trunk for aerodynamic abilities. It can descend the next take off. at an angle less than 450 relative to the 10. Flying snake: There are fi ve horizontal. recognised species of fl ying snakes: 12. Flying lemur: Flying lemur has (i) Ornate fl ying snake (Chrysopelea a membrane of skin from the sides of the 7. Flying lacertids: In fl ying ornata), (ii) Paradise tree snake chin which continues into a broad web lacertids the head and body are very (Chrysopelea paradisi), (iii) Banded down on either side of the body, taking depressed with frontoparietal and fl ying snake (Chrysopelea pelias), (iv) in the forearm with all the fi ngers and occipital scales all fused into shields Srilankan fl ying snake (Chrysopelea the hind legs and toes and going right with a depressed tail. Their bones are taprobanica) and (v) Moluccan fl ying up to the tip of the tail. When disturbed packed with air spaces, fl at body and snake (Chrysopelea rhabdopleura). it moves rapidly in the branch, climbs tail, fused fi ngers and their low body They use their aerobatics to escape up the trunk and launches itself in a mass makes them capable of gliding up predators, to move from tree to tree long smooth fl ying leap to the next tree, to 30 m distance. without having to descend to the forest up to 137 m away.

April 2018 | Science Reporter | 43 Flying fox

Thin-barred snake, also called as Banded fl ying snake There are 37 Bats of the genus 13. Flying squirrel: 14. Flying fox: (Chrysopelea pelias) species of Flying squirrels of which Pteropus belonging to order Chiroptera the largest is the giant fl ying squirrel are the largest bats in the world. They (Glaucomys volans) of Asia, and the are commonly known as fruit bats or smallest is the pygmy fl ying squirrel Flying foxes. The genus includes 60 (Glaucomys sabrinus). They have a species of Flying foxes. Most common web-furred skin on either side of the are (i) Black fl ying fox (Pteropus body extending from the foreleg to alecto), (ii) Livingstone’s fruit bat Golden tree snake, also called as Ornate the hind leg and ending on the tail. (Pteropus livingstonii), (iii) Mariana fl ying snake Before becoming airborne, a fl ying fl ying fox (Pteropus mariannus), (iv) (Chrysopelea ornata) squirrel fi rst leans its head to one side Grey headed fl ying fox (Pteropus and then the other side followed by poliocephalus) and (v) Large fl ying up-down movement which enables fox (Pteropus vampyrus). As the name it to judge the distance it must need suggests, the head resembles that of a to travel to reach its landing spot. small fox because of the small ears and The landing is very accurate. Before large eyes. They are true fl yers. But they landing the squirrel erects its tail, are not always skillful at landing. They causing its head to rise vertically. This may fl y heavily into foliage and then brings the body accurately on to the clamber along to a branch, or fl y over a Sri Lankan fl ying snake landing strip forming a cushion while branch, catching it with their hind feet (Chrysopelea taprobanica) landing. to fall into the hanging position. Different advantages that the

) fl ight adaptation provides to the animals include escape from predators, access to food, and mobility and manoeuverability enables them to travel according to season to regions where ying lemur climate, food supply and nesting sites

Sugar glider are favorable. Sunda fl (Petaurus australis)

( Galeopterus veriegatus Prof. Prafulla Kumar Mohanty is Professor, Postgraduate Department of Zoology, ) Faculty of Science, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751004, Odisha; Email: [email protected] ying lemur

fl Miss Damayanti Nayak is a student of M.Sc. Part I of the Postgraduate

Greater glider Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Philippine

(Schoinobates volans) Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751004; Email: ( Cynocephalus volans [email protected]

44 | Science Reporter | April 2018