Animals With Webbed Arms

Webbed feet and hands are common among many species of animals, ranging from ducks to amphibians. There are also animals that go beyond the webbed foot or webbed hands and actually have weblike membranes that comprise the animal's arm. These animals are found on the land and in the air and range from mammals to reptiles. Having information on these specially evolved creatures helps further the understanding of the vast and varied animal kingdom.

  1. Marsupials

    • The sugar glider is a marsupial native to Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It has been heavily domesticated in the United States and Europe. There are in total seven different species of sugar gliders; however, all can fit easily into the palm of an adult male's hand. The arms of a sugar glider are webbed with a thin flap of skin called patagia. This flap stretches across its entire arm and extends down through the abdomen and to its hind legs. The sugar glider will jump from limb to limb, as most of its life is spent in tree canopies. The patagia is unnoticeable when the animal is walking, crawling and during other daily activities; however, it becomes apparent when the glider decides to leap to another tree or a faraway branch. A sugar glider can use its webbed arms to glide over 150 feet in the air.

      The gliding possum, also referred to as a greater glider, is another marsupial known for its webbed arms that allow the animal to glide through the air. These animals grow to an average of 17 inches in length and can glide up to 150 feet. This animal only has one offspring per year in the mating season, and is on the near threatened list on the IUCN List of Threatened Species. They are native only to Eastern Australia.

    Other Mammals

    • Flying squirrels are found in America and have webbed arms.

      The colugo, referred to as the flying lemur, is a mammal native to Southeast Asia and has webbed arms that attach to the animal's feet. Of all the "gliding" mammal types, this animal has the most webbing on its arms. The spaces between its fingers and toes are webbed too, to create additional lift in the air. Colugos are extremely developed gliders; they use their webbed arms to navigate and change direction when in the air, actually able to get "lift" during breezes to extend their glide.

      A similarly webbed animal is the flying squirrel, whose common name is representative of more than 44 species. These creatures have the same webbed structure as the colugo; however, they do lack the webbing between fingers and toes. The flying squirrel is found in North and South America and throughout Europe. Widely distributed and adept at gliding, it can glide up to 250 feet. It nearly competes with the colugo, which can glide over 300 feet.

    Bats, The Only True Flying Mammal

    • The webbed arms of the bat allow it to fly.

      Bats are, in reality, the only true flying mammal. The others only use the wind and air for lift; however, the bat can manipulate the air to create lift and sustainable, directional flight. Bats have long, thin arms that, in relation to the body, are twice as large. Bats have a thin membrane of skin on the arms that creates wings. Bats are found in all continents excluding Antarctica.

    Flying Gecko

    • The arboreal gecko, Ptychozoon kuhli, is a gecko from Southeast Asia. Though there are other lizards and reptiles capable of gliding, the arboreal gecko is the only one with webbed arms, and is capable of gliding over 200 feet.