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- Characteristics of flying mammals
- Wooly bat (Myotis emarginatus)
- Large arboreal bat (Nyctalus noctula)
- Light Mint Bat (Eptesicus isabellinus)
- Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
- Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
- Colugo (Cynocephalus volans)
Have you seen any flying mammal? Normally, when we think of flying animals, the first thing that comes to mind is images of birds. However, in the animal kingdom there are many other flying animals, from insects to mammals. It's true that some of these animals don't fly, just slide or have body structures that allow them to jump from great heights without being damaged when they reach the ground.
Still, there are flying mammals that actually have the ability to fly, not just soar like bats. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will show the curious characteristics of flying mammals and a list with photos of the most representative species.
Characteristics of flying mammals
To the naked eye, the wings of a bird and a bat can look very different. The birds have feathered wings and furred bats, but still watching their bone structure we will see that they have the same bones: humerus, radius, ulna, carps, metacarpals and phalanges.
In birds, some of the bones corresponding to the wrist and hand have disappeared, but not in bats. These incredibly elongated their metacarpal bones and phalanges, widening the end of the wing, except for the thumb, which maintains its small size and serves bats for walking, climbing or supporting themselves.
To fly, these mammals had to reduce your body weight just like birds, decreasing the density of their bones, making them more porous and less heavy to fly. The hind legs have been reduced and, as they are brittle bones, cannot support the weight of the standing animal, so the bats rest upside down.
In addition to bats, other examples of flying mammals are flying squirrels or colugos. These animals, instead of wings, developed another strategy of flight or, better said, of gliding. The skin between the fore and hind legs and the skin between the hind legs and the tail were covered with excessive vegetation, creating a kind of parachute that allows them to glide.
Next, we'll show you some species of this curious group of flying mammals.
Wooly bat (Myotis emarginatus)
This flying mammal is a bat medium-small in size it has large ears and muzzle. Its coat has a reddish-blond color on the back and lighter on the belly. They weigh between 5.5 and 11.5 grams.
They are native to Europe, Southwest Asia and Northwest Africa. They prefer dense, wooded habitats, where spiders, their main source of food, proliferate. nest in cavernous areas, are nocturnal and leave their shelters just before sunset, returning before dawn.
Large arboreal bat (Nyctalus noctula)
Large arboreal bats are, as the name implies, large and weigh up to 40 grams. They have ears that are relatively short in proportion to their body. They have golden brown fur, often reddish. The hairless areas of the body such as the wings, ears and muzzle are very dark, almost black.
These flying mammals are distributed throughout the Eurasian continent, from the Iberian Peninsula to Japan, in addition to North Africa. It is also a forest bat, nesting in tree holes, although it can also be found in crevices of human buildings.
It is one of the first bats to fly before nightfall, so it can be seen flying alongside birds such as swallows. They are partially migratory, in late summer a large part of the population moves south.
Light Mint Bat (Eptesicus isabellinus)
The next mammal to fly is the light mint bat. is of size medium-large and its fur is yellowish. It has short ears, triangular and dark in color, like the rest of the body that is not covered with fur. Females are slightly larger than males, reaching 24 grams in weight.
Its populations are distributed from Northwest Africa to the South of the Iberian Peninsula. They feed on insects and live in rock cracks, rarely in trees.
Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Flying squirrels have grayish-brown fur, except for the belly, which is white. Their tails are flat and have large, well-developed eyes, as they are nocturnal animals. They can weigh over 120 grams.
They are distributed from Alaska to northern Canada. They live in coniferous forests, where nut-producing trees abound. Their diet is very varied, they can eat acorns, nuts, other seeds, small fruits, flowers, mushrooms, insects and even small birds. They are flying mammals that nest in tree holes and generally have two broods per year.
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
These squirrels are very similar to the northern flying squirrel, but their fur is lighter. They also have flat tails and large eyes, like those in the north.They live in forested areas from southern Canada to Texas. Their diet is similar to that of their northern cousins and they need the trees to shelter in their crevices and nest.
Colugo (Cynocephalus volans)
The colugo, also known as the flying lemur, is a species of mammal that lives in the Malaysia. They are dark gray with a lighter belly. Like flying squirrels, they have excess skin between their legs and tail that allows them to glide. Their tail is almost as long as their body. They can reach a weight of around two pounds. They feed almost exclusively on leaves, flowers and fruits.
When flying lemurs have young, they carry the pups in their belly until they can fend for themselves. With them on top, they also jump and "fly". They inhabit wooded areas, standing on top of trees. Is species vulnerable to extinction, according to the IUCN, due to the destruction of its habitat.
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