5 Creatures That Barely Touch the Earth and Live Life in the Air

While animals spend their lives walking, running, or crawling on land, there are some creatures that barely touch the earth and mastered a completely different lifestyle. These incredible species spend most of their time flying, gliding or hanging high above the ground, rarely touching the land. From ocean wanderers to nighttime flyers all these animals show how nature has perfected life in the skies.


The albatross is famous for having the largest wingspan of any bird reaching up to 12 feet. These ocean birds fly for months without landing using wind currents to glide effortlessly.
They touch land only to breed or raise their chicks. The rest of their life is spend soaring over vast oceans, sleeping and feeding while in flight.

Common Swifts are true sky dwellers. Studies have shown that that stay airborne for up to 10 months straight without landing.
They eat, drink and sleep while flying. Swifts only land during nesting season making them one of the most air dependent birds on Earth.


Frigatebirds are masters of long distance flight and rarely land on water because their feathers are not waterproof.
They remain in the air for weeks at a time stealing food from the other birds and catching fish midflight. Some have been tracked flying continuously over oceans for more than 2 months.

Flying foxes also called fruit bats are the largest bats in the world. With wingspans reaching 5 feet they travel long distances every night to find food.
They spend their lives flying or hanging from trees rarely touching the ground. Their aerial lifestyle also helps in spreading seeds and maintaining forest health.

Flying squirrels do not fly but they glide up to 150 feet between trees using a special skin membrane. They live high in forests and avoid the ground to escape predators. By staying in the canopy, they spend most of their lives moving through the air rather than walking.

From ocean wanderers like the albatross to night flyers like bats, these animals prove that life does not always have to happen on the land. Their bodies and instincts are perfectly designed for aerial living. By rarely touching the ground they save energy, avoid danger and thrive in unique environments. Nature shows us that there are endless ways to survive and succeed.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do these animals ever touch the ground?
   Yes but very rarely. Most of them land only for breeding, resting or emergencies.
2. Can flying squirrels really fly?
   No, they glide. They use skin membranes to glide between trees but cannot flap like birds.
3. Are these animals found in India?
   Yes. Flying fox bats and flying squirrels are commonly found in India while migratory birds like swifts also visit regularly.