What kind of flying animal are you

The Japanese flying squid uses jet propulsion to speed through the water. 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.

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. Once in the air, they can travel up to 11 metres per second. 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.

Japanese flying squid use their quick speed to catch the fish and crustaceans that make up their diet. The small draco lizard Draco volans relies on its gliding ability to escape predators, find food and even attract a mate. They live in the jungles of southeast Asia and mostly eat ants and termites. It has elongated ribs which extend and retract as needed, and between the ribs is a fold of skin which acts as wings when unfolded. Draco lizards use their tails to steer and can travel distances of up to 58 metres.

They can turn their wrists 90 degrees to grab their 'wings' while in flight. Draco lizards grow to just 20 centimetres including their tails. The underside of their wings is blue in males and yellow in females, while their dewlap the skin at the base of their neck is yellow in males and blue-grey in females.

Males are very territorial and will use their gliding skills to chase other lizards from the trees they see as their own. Also known as parachute frogs, Wallace's flying frogs Rhacophorus nigropalmatus live in the thick rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia. They spend most of their lives in trees, descending only to find a mate and lay eggs. They use their webbed feet to glide between trees or to the ground and can travel up to 15 metres this way.

This ability helps them to catch prey mostly insects and escape predators if necessary. They have large toe pads which enable a soft landing and help them stick to tree trunks. There are other frogs that can glide, but Wallace's flying frogs are some of the largest. They are identifiable by their black foot webbing, bright green bodies and yellow sides.

They grow up to 10 centimetres long. The Wallace's flying frog population is stable, though as they often lay eggs on leaves above the wallowing holes of the nearly extinct Asian rhinoceros, further decreases in the rhino population may impact the success of the frog's tadpoles. Over 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. Discovered in , Ambopteryx is the second dinosaur to be found with large membranes on its wings, hence its Latin name that means 'both wings'. From fossils, palaeontologists can tell that its stomach contained gizzard stones like modern plant-eating birds, but also bone fragments.

An adult weighed just a few hundred grams. This dinosaur belongs to the scansoriopterygid family, which also includes Yi qi , another bat-winged dinosaur. The Yi qi fossil was found with traces of a brown film on one wing, thought to be traces of a wing membrane. This discovery shows that non-bird dinosaurs were experimenting with different ways of flying, including bat-like wings and wings closer to those of birds. Researchers now think at least four different dinosaurs learned to fly, including scansoriopterygids.

Snakes that need good eyesight to hunt in the day have eye lenses that act as sunglasses, filtering out ultraviolet light and sharpening their vision. Get email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. You must be over the age of Privacy notice. Smart cookie preferences.

Change cookie preferences Accept all cookies. You're fun, sociable, daring, and spontaneous! You're not afraid to take risks, and you're often reinventing yourself, always trying to be a better person. You love to travel and don't mind taking the journey on your own especially if no one else has the guts to follow you!

Though mostly nocturnal, the Brown Bat is very active during the day in the spring. They prefer a temperate climate, and usually hibernate in the winter, huddled close together in caves. Like all bat species, they rely heavily on sonar locating to track prey at night.

You're a kind, sensitive, empathetic person. You're a good listener, both in an emotional, and literal way. You are very close to your family and friends, and prefer to have fewer good friends, than a huge social circle.

Though technically gliders, the Exocoetidae or "Flying Fish" make powerful, self-propelled leaps into the air to avoid predators and can ride updrafts up to 1,ft in distance! They can be found in all oceans, but generally live in tropical climates. You are full of surprises and you enjoy exceeding the expectations of others, whether it be for your smarts, or your strength.

You are a deep, thoughtful individual, and often have an air of mystery that people find intriguing. The Draco or "flying dragon" has a membrane attached to its ribs that allows them to glide in the air upwards of ft in distance.

They dwell in tree tops and are most active in the early morning and afternoon, and spend as much time in the shade as possible. You are an ambitious, highly driven person and in great physical shape. You probably get more done before 9am than the rest of us do all day! You easily adapt to new challenges and pride yourself on being flexible.

Because you work hard, you really enjoy your down time and prefer a night in relaxing to a night on the town. By releasing strands into the air, spiders can ride the winds, island hop, and disperse their young. The silk is also used for dangling, created intricate webs to catch prey, and cocooning their eggs.

You are immensely talented, clever, creative and detail-oriented. You are resourceful, always find a way to make the best of a bad situation, or make do with very little. You prefer to be more of a loner and only show your true self to those you really trust. Strangers are often intimidated by you. The Goldfinch is a song bird found in North America and Europe.

It makes two distinct calls during its unusual, wave-patterned flight, and is also easily recognized for its bright yellow plumage. They are a colony bird, highly social in the non-breeding season, and extremely territorial during nesting. You are the type of person that just has "a way about them". You're unique in a way that is hard for others to describe. Maybe it's your walk, or the way you speak, or your joyful spirit, but you're definitely intriguing. People want to be around you, but you're usually pretty selective about who you keep around.

And why shouldn't you be? The Hawk is one of the animal world's most efficient hunters. They move quickly and aggressively. Their keen eyesight plays an important role. They have 4 color receptors, which allows them to see the normal color spectrum, but also ultraviolet and in some cases, magnetic fields. You are extremely focused and goal oriented. You do everything on your own terms, and no one is going to get in your way.

Even though you have an aggressive streak, you can be very tender and caring, especially as it comes to those who need your help.

The Chrysopelea is commonly known as The Flying Snake. It climbs trees using the ridge scales on its belly, is able to aim its trajectory from tree branches, and contorts its body into a pseudo wing to glide to its destination.

They are mildly venomous and do most hunting during the day. You are an intelligent, cunning person. You have a calm demeanor, and always think before you act. The only animals that can truly fly are birds, insects, and bats. Other animals manage to travel through the air by gliding from great heights or leaping from the depths.

Here are a few. The devil rays, in the genus Mobula , are related to manta rays. Their wingspan can grow up to 17 feet wide, making them the second-largest group of rays after the mantas. These muscular fish can leap several feet out of the water, but no one is quite sure why they do it. These tree-dwelling gliders are sometimes called flying lemurs, but they're neither true lemurs nor do they fly.

These mammals in the genus Cynocephalus are native to Southeast Asia and are about the size of a house cat. Colugos can glide up to feet between trees using their patagium , or flaps of skin between their front and hind legs that extend to their tail and neck colugos are even webbed between their toes. In the air, they can soar gracefully through the forest, but on the ground, they look like an animated pancake.