AIR-GROUND ANIMALS: CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The air - ground animals are those living beings who can share different land and airspace to perform its vital functions. Most of these live much of their time on land, where they reproduce, feed and nest. However, to move they can do so by walking with their legs, flying or planning, for which they use the wings or the structures adapted for it.

Contrary to what you might think, not only animals that have wings are considered to be flying. To this group also belong those other species that have body adaptations that allow them to move from one place to another, gliding or taking great jumps.

Peregrine falcon. Source: pixabay.com Murcielago. Source: pixabay.com

Thus, within the group of air-ground animals are the vast majority of birds and flying insects, as well as some species of arachnids, marsupials, reptiles and mammals that can glide.

Why do they share air and land spaces?

Flying involves a huge energy expenditure. This is why, in the case of birds, they have a muscular and respiratory system highly adapted to flight.

Despite being able to supply the high energy consumption with a hypercaloric diet, it is almost impossible for an animal to keep flying constantly. This is why it resorts to the various habitats that exist on earth, where it can rest and feed, among other things.

On the other hand, land animals that have the ability to glide use it to travel a distance faster or to quickly escape from a predator. Also, they could surprise a prey, thus facilitating its capture.

This is how the northern flying squirrel climbs to the top of a tree and glides, thanks to a membrane called patagio. In this way, its movement is fast and surprising, being able to quickly escape from the threat to which it is exposed.

characteristics

Skeletal system

This biological system provides animals with support, support and protection for their muscles and soft tissues.

Vertebrates, including birds and mammals, have an endoskeleton, made up of bones. These are joined together through the joints.

Contrary to this, arthropods possess an exoskeleton. This external skeleton is continuous, fulfilling protective, breathing and mechanical functions in the animal, thus providing support to the muscular system.

Locomotion

Legs

The legs of an animal are body limbs that support the body, thus allowing them to move. They are appendages that are articulated and in even number.

In vertebrates there are two groups: bipeds, like birds, which have two legs, and quadrupeds, which have four. As for arthropods, they have a greater number of legs than vertebrates. For example, arachnids have eight.

Wings

The wings are limbs that are only present in bats, birds and insects.

In relation to insects, the wings, in number of 1 or 2 pairs, are modifications that the exoskeleton has undergone. They are located in the thorax and in the vast majority of species they are functional only in the adult state.

In birds, the wings are the product of adaptations that the forelimbs have undergone. These structures are covered with feathers, thus forming part of the surface that allows them to fly.

As for the chiropterous mammals, known as bats, the fingers, except the thumb, and the forelimbs form a support to support a membrane known as patagium. This structure will allow the animal to sustain itself in the air and have an active flight.

Patagio

The patagium is an extension of the abdominal skin, which forms a resistant and elastic membrane. This extends to the fingertips of each leg, thus joining each extremity with the body.

This epithelial membrane is present in some rodents and mammals, being used for gliding, with a function similar to a parachute.

Reproduction

In air-ground animals, the way of reproducing is varied, due to the diversity of species that make up this group.

Mammals

In mammals, the sexes are separate and reproduction is viviparous, with the exception of monotremes. Fertilization is internal and is the product of the union of a male sex cell (sperm) and a female (ovum).

Each sex has sexual organs, both internal and external. Males have a penis, testes, seminal vesicle, and seminal ducts. In females there is a vagina, uterus, mammary glands, ovaries, and uterine tubes.

Birds

In relation to birds, fertilization is internal and the sexes are separated. However, they do not have external reproductive organs. Because of this, fertilization occurs when the cloaca of the male and female make contact.

A particular characteristic of this group is that they are amniotes. The embryo inside the egg has 4 shells. These allow the development of the egg to occur in dry environments, such as soil.

Amphibians

In amphibians, reproduction is oviparous. In relation to the embryo, it lacks protective membranes, so the female puts them in the water or in nearby humid places.

In the case of frogs and toads, both the female and the male discharge the sex cells into the water, where they unite to form the embryo. It is of great importance that this liberation is simultaneous.

To guarantee this, the male frog strongly grasps the female and when she releases the eggs he lays the sperm. Such a way of coupling is known as an amplexus.

Reptiles

One of the outstanding aspects of reptiles is that they are vertebrates and their reproduction is through eggs. These have membranes that prevent the embryo from drying out, so the female puts them on the ground.

In reptiles, fertilization is internal, thus not needing an aquatic environment to reproduce. In the case of snakes, the male has two hemipenis, although he only uses one in each mating.

Examples of air-ground animals

The Burrowing Owl

This small owl lives on land, an aspect that characterizes this species. In relation to its burrow, it builds it in the soil of agricultural regions, in grasslands or in grazing areas.

Peregrine falcon

Peregrine falcon

This bird hunts its prey in the air. However, it inhabits diverse environments, from the Arctic to the deserts of Australia. In addition, it builds its nests on the edge of cliffs, and can currently be found on the top of buildings or on bridges.

Dragon-fly

This insect is characterized by having large, multifaceted eyes. In addition, they have 2 pairs of transparent wings and an elongated abdomen. This species lives much of its life as a nymph, which often hunts on land.

Earth bee

Bee. Source: pixabay.com

The land bee or jicote is an insect belonging to the genus of meliponas, a group of bees that lack a sting. Generally, it builds its nest of earth, covering it completely or leaving it semi-exposed. You can do it on a stone wall, on bricks, or at the foot of a tree.

Bat

Myotis planiceps. Image via naturalista.mx

This animal is the only mammal with the ability to fly. This is because their upper limbs have undergone adaptations, developing as wings. The vast majority of this species lives in caves, trees and crevices, which can vary according to the function and the season of the year.

Macaw

This South American bird has a striking plumage, iridescent red in color. The macaw builds its nest in the hollows of the trees. For this, select those that are at a great height and surrounded by abundant foliage, thus avoiding their predators.

Hen

Source: pixabay

It is an omnivorous bird with diurnal habits. It usually spends most of its time on the ground, although it is capable of making small flights.

Philippine Flying Lemur

jenesuisquncon, via Wikimedia Commons This mammal has a membrane known as a patagio, which connects the legs with the tail on both sides. To gain momentum, the lemur launches itself from a tree. As it falls, it spreads its legs, keeping them horizontal. In this way it plans and can escape from its predator.

Flying golden snake

The Chrysopelea ornata plans to flee from the threat of its predators and to travel a greater distance in a shorter time. Also, it is presumed that it does so to attack its prey in a surprise manner.

Short-billed goose

The short-billed goose is a goose that has a brown belly and light gray wings, with white edges. Their diet is based on grass, vegetables and cereals. In relation to the nest, it is creeping and is upholstered by down.

Northern flying squirrel

To start gliding, the squirrel is launched from the high branch of a tree. At that time it extends its four extremities, thus stretching the elastic and resistant membrane that joins them.

Substrate fly

It is a dark gray winged fly that measures up to 4 millimeters. The female lays her eggs in the substrate, hatching on the third day. The larvae feed and live in the soil. Once adult, they emerge to the surface, living on plant material.

Flying spider

During the aerial descent, the Selenops sp. does not use silk threads. He does this by using the appendages found in his armpits and visual cues. Thus, it moves through the variations that the animal makes with its body, accompanied by changes in the orientation of its legs.

Curlew

The curlew is a wading bird. Faced with a dangerous situation, it hides in the soil of sandy, bare or stony ground where it lives. To lay his eggs, he digs a hole in the sand.

Wallace's Flying Frog

This amphibian can glide up to a distance of 160 centimeters. To do this, it is launched from a branch, spreading the fingers, and the legs. At the same time, the flaps on his tail and on the sides of his limbs are stretched.

References

1. Wikipedia (2019). Skeleton. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.
2. John R. Hutchinson (1995). Vertebrate Flight GLIDING AND PARACHUTING. Recovered from ucmp.berkeley.edu
3. (2019). Rhacophorus nigropalmatus. Recovered from amphibiaweb.org.
4. Yanoviak SP, Munk Y, Dudley R. (2015). Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders. INTERFACE. Recovered from royalsocietypublishing.org.
5. Ecology Asia (2019). Golden Tree Snake. Recovered from ecologyasia.com.