The Yi qi fossil was found with traces of a brown film on one wing, thought to be traces of a wing membrane. This dinosaur belongs to the scansoriopterygid family, which also includes Yi qi, another bat-winged dinosaur. An adult weighed just a few hundred grams. From fossils, palaeontologists can tell that its stomach contained gizzard stones like modern plant-eating birds, but also bone fragments. Over 160 million years ago in the Late Jurassic Period, the tiny Ambopteryx longibrachium would have been seen gliding from tree to tree. Living in what is now China, this omnivore used leathery bat-like wings to get around.ĭiscovered in 2017, Ambopteryx is the second dinosaur to be found with large membranes on its wings, hence its Latin name that means 'both wings'. Japanese flying squid use their quick speed to catch the fish and crustaceans that make up their diet. It is believed they use this gliding ability to escape predators but also to travel quickly - they can move five times faster through air than water. Once in the air, they can travel up to 11 metres per second. This jet propulsion is so powerful that Japanese flying squid are able to propel themselves out of the water and glide by spreading out their fins and arms creating aerodynamic lift. It does this by taking water into its mantle (the muscular cavity that protects the squid's body) and pushing it out through the siphon (a tube-like structure used to expel water, waste and ink). The Japanese flying squid uses jet propulsion to speed through the water. Like many other cephalopods they can change colour to match their environment, helping to camouflage them from predators. The female is larger than the male, growing up to 50 centimetres long. The Japanese flying squid ( Todarodes pacificus), also known as the Japanese common squid, is native to the north Pacific Ocean, specifically around Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the Bering Strait. Flying fish live on a diet of plankton, and are hunted by mackerel, tuna, swordfish, and marlin amongst other large fish. Once it nears the surface again, the fish can beat the lower lobe of its tail as it re-enters the water. Flying fish have been recorded stretching out their flights with consecutive glides spanning up to 400 metres. Scientists believe that flying fish evolved to glide so that they could escape predators. This method causes them to reach heights of 1.2 metres and glide as far as 655 feet. These fish can reach speeds of 60 kilometres per hour before taking flight, which they do by beating their tails whilst still below the surface. Some flying fish also have large pelvic fins and are known as four-winged flying fish. The fish gains lift and becomes airborne.

At the right moment, large wing-like pectorals (which were held close to the body when the fish was submerged) are extended. Once the fish has broken the surface its elongatated lower tail lobe can still beat in the water, providing further thrust. This and their large tails allow them to build up speed as they approach the surface. They are shaped like a torpedo, which streamlines their bodies and lets them build up speed underwater so that they can break to the surface. There are 70 known species of flying fish. Habitat fragmentation, hunting and deforestation are threatening their numbers.įlying fish (Exocoetidae) live in warm ocean waters around the world. They have comb-shaped teeth, which some scientists believe may act as food strainers or scrapers, or maybe used for grooming to remove parasites from their fur. They are such skilled gliders that they can transport their babies on to their stomachs until they are old enough to glide on their own.Ĭolugos eat saps, leaves and shoots. Its lightweight skeleton and wide surface area of the patagium perfectly equip it for gliding.Ĭolugos have large eyes that give them brilliant depth perception, which helps them to glide between trees and land safely. The colugo's limbs and tail are long and slender, and its feet are broad and have strong, sharp recurved claws for climbing. Its membrane, the patagium, is like that of the flying squirrel except it starts at its face and covers its fingers and toe tips through to the tail. It's found in southeast Asia and is sometimes referred to as the flying lemur. The colugo ( Cynocephalidae) can glide for 100 metres or more between trees, making it one of the most skilled gliding mammal.

Crazy jungle predators