Among living organisms, only insects, birds, and mammals have species that fly. But that doesn't mean that only they become airborne. Evolution has come up with multitudes of methods to defeat gravity, even if only temporarily. One approach is to be small. Smallness means little weight and a lot of surface area to catch the breeze. Resistant spores of microorganisms and fungi ride the air currents, sometimes for hundreds or thousands of miles. And many plants depend on the wind to carry their pollen from male to female reproductive organs.
Animals are not to be outdone, though more sophistication is necessary
because of their larger size. Membranes strung from wrists to ankles turn a mammal into
a glider, as does flattening their body with some kinds of snakes. Or how about a
parachute consisting of huge webs between long toes, as in some frogs? In our desert,
as elsewhere, young spiders climb to the heights, and once there, play out a long web
strand until, caught by a breeze, our intrepid arachnid, like a balloon, is up, up, and
away.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Quicktime movies of flying snakes.