Animals in India that can fly — and they’re not birds: Where to find them

When we talk about animals that rule the skies, our first thought goes to birds. However, apart from the common flying birds, there are many other kinds of animals in India’s forests, swamps, gardens, and mountain regions that can fly. There are some that fly like birds with their wings, while there are others that simply glide in the air. These animals show brilliant examples of how some of the most amazing evolutionary tactics have been employed by nature to help them survive, hide from predators, move around, hunt, or find food sources.
From giant fruit bats crossing the twilight sky to squirrels that silently sail between treetops, India offers surprising encounters for wildlife lovers willing to look beyond the obvious.

Where to find: Found throughout India, including parks, temples, wetlands, and forest borders. They can be found in several Indian states like Rajasthan, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra.
The most spectacular sight to see at night in India’s sky is a flock of Indian flying foxes coming out from their roosting spots. They are one of the largest bats in Asia, having wide wings and faces resembling that of foxes. Their wing span can reach up to one meter, thus making it very noticeable when they fly in the dark sky. Indian Flying Foxes are known for their diet which mainly consists of fruits, nectar, and flowers.

Where to find: Common across peninsular India, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Much smaller than the Flying Fox, the Greater Short-Nosed Fruit Bat is one of the most common bats in India. It is a fast and agile flyer that emerges after sunset to feed on fruits, flowers, and nectar. Because of its size, many people overlook it, but it is one of the country’s most important night-time pollinators. This species is also known for creating temporary shelters by biting and folding large leaves into tent-like roosts. Its presence in orchards and gardens highlights how wildlife can thrive even close to human settlements.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0/Abu Hamas/iNaturalist
Where to find: Forests edge, plantations, bamboo patches, and forests in Western Ghats, eastern India, and Northeast India.
One of the most beautiful animals on this continent, the painted bat is known for its unique orange coat dotted with black wings. The beautiful colors of this mammal could be adapted to provide camouflage among dried leaves and tropical plants. The small and fragile mammal feeds on insects and is an efficient flyer hunting for food during nighttime.

Source of image: Wikimedia Commons, CC 3.0/Prateek Jain
Where to find: Forest areas in the Western Ghats, central India, east India, and foothills of the Himalayas.
This magnificent nocturnal animal does not really fly; it glides like an expert through the air. By spreading out its gliding membranes located between its limbs, the Indian giant flying squirrel is able to soar through the air over the forest canopy. Large eyes help it see in the dark, and it often moves noiselessly. Seeing one glide silently in the light of the moon is believed to be a truly magic moment.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0/Davidvraju
Where to find: Namdapha region of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Namdapha flying squirrel is considered to be one of the rarest mammals found in India and is found only in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. There is very limited information available about the behavior of the squirrel, making it one of the most enigmatic species among gliding mammals. They glide using a membrane rather than true flight.

Where to find: Western Ghats and surrounding forests in South India.
This lizard is an extremely interesting gliding animal found in India. Also called the Indian flying lizard or the southern flying lizard, this lizard uses the skin folds present on both sides of its body supported by ribs and extends them into wings that can launch it from one branch to another to glide.

Where to find: Northeast India, eastern India, and humid forests.
Few creatures are as astounding as a gliding snake. This snake species can climb trees, leaps forward and stretch out its body into a ribbon-like shape to glide in mid-air. Although it sounds amazing, it is a natural method of movement used by the snake to travel across branches and evade danger.

Where to find: Western Ghats, particularly Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Tamil Nadu during the monsoon period.
The Malabar Gliding Frog, native to the Western Ghats, is a tree frog that glides from one branch to another using its broad foot webbing. During the monsoon season, this frog becomes very active and vocal near the streams of the forest. It is one of India's most beautiful amphibians with a vibrant green color and vivid red webbing.