Wingless wonders take flight

You thought animals needed wings to fly? Think again. This wingless water-dweller uses its pectoral muscles to launch itself into the air. Flying fish usually live in tropical regions. They can move as fast as 70 kilometers per hour and hang in the air for some 400 meters.

The Octopoteuthis deletron is a species of squid. It lurks in deep, dark waters but when it feels threatened, it can jump right out of the water.

Using jet propulsion, a squid or octopus can move thirty meters in three seconds. They squirt water out of their bodies. Membranes between their tentacles then function like wings.

The Rove beetle can be found all over the world. There are about 58,000 species of them on the planet.

The wings on a Rove beetle are often longer than the insect's body, but remain folded neatly under the beetle's shell. Some types of Rove beetle are just half a millimeter long and others reach up to five centimeters in length.

The Indian flying fox looks more like a dog than anything that might fly. The animals usually nap in tree branches during the day and then prowl the forest at night, snacking on pollen and fruit.

Flying foxes are related to bats. But instead of sonar, they have excellent eyesight and a poweful sense of sense of smell, which they use for navigation. They are big creatures with a wingspan that can reach up to 1.5 meters. They're harmless but they shouldn't be eaten as they often carry dangerous viruses.

Most snakes can't fly, thankfully. But, there are exceptions like the Chrysopelea, which is more commonly known as the flying snake. They can glide from tree to tree and are able to control the direction they move in. A terrifying spectable indeed.