AERIAL ADAPTATIONS DR DALIP KUMAR AERIAL ADAPTATIONS Animals

AERIAL ADAPTATIONS DR. DALIP KUMAR

AERIAL ADAPTATIONS • Animals that can fly and spend a lot of their time in the air are called AERIAL ANIMALS. • AERIAL ADAPTAIONS ARE OF TWO TYPES : ØPRIMARY AERIAL ADAPTATIONS ØSECONDARY AERIAL ADAPATIONS

PRIMARY AERIAL ADAPTATIONS • It is generally shown by the BIRDS. • HOLLOW BONES : to makes their body light • STREAMLINED BODY : able to cut through the air easily • Modification of forelimbs into wings • Light weight beak • Bipedal locomotion • Short tail • Feathers • Gonads are developed only during breeding season.

SECONDARY AERIAL ADAPTATIONS It is shown by : fishes , amphibians , reptiles , mammals.

FLYING FISH (EXOCOETUS) • Flying fish can make powerful , self propelled leaps out of water into air , where their long , wings like fins enable GLIDING flight for considerable distance above water surface. • pectoral fins are large and help the fish to escape from predator. • It is a marine fish. • It can glide over 200 mts. once it nears the surface again, it can flat its tail and move again without returning to the water • Curved profile of WINGS is comparable to aerodynamic shape of bird wing.

FLYING DRAGON ( DRACO ) • The are ARBOREAL INSECTIVORES. • They are able to glide long distances using their wing-like , patagial membranes supported by elongated thoracic ribs to generate lift forces. • A small set of flaps on the neck serve as horizontal stabilizers. • The length of these lizards id 20 cm but can glide as long as 60 mts.

BAT • 70% of bat species are insectivorous. • Wings are covered with leathery skin called PATAGIUM powered by large muscles in the body • Forelimbs are webbed • MERKEL CELLS are touch – sensitive receptors. • Bat ECHOLOCATION is a perceptual system where ultrasonic sounds are emitted specifically to produce echoes.

FLYING FROG ( RHACOPHOROUS) • These frogs have long toes with strong webbing between them , enabling the animals to slow their fall to glide. • It is a type of FLYING FROG which can descend aerially , but at angles sharper than 45 degree • There is a wide flap of skin on outer edge of forearm.

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