this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026

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140

Which living creatures can swim and fly, but not walk? (feddit.org)

submitted 9 hours ago by bricked@feddit.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

51 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Whenever I see this picture I think of this:

| Creature | Swims | Walks | Flies |
| -------- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
| Dog      | X     | X     |       |
| Fish     | X     |       |       |
| Bird     |       | X     | X     |
| Duck     | X     | X     | X     |

Notice how for each combination of swimming, walking and flying, there is a living creature that can do just that, with the exception of swimming and flying.

Sure there are flying fish, but they glide rather than fly. Did evolution really forget to cover this niche?

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[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Flying fish

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 hour ago

Only walk could be an ant, I guess, but what about only fly?

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

All fish fly, just not through the air.

And, uh, The Common Loon is a creature that can swim and fly, but can't walk. It's feet are too far back to be able to walk.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

It's called a @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world

[–] EfreetSK@lemmy.world 24 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

These things:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_fish

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 4 points 4 hours ago

Loon

[–] Berengaria_of_Navarre@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

A paraplegic seaplane pilot

[–] python@lemmy.world 8 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Genus Chrysopelea, commonly referred to as flying snakes. Most snakes are perfectly fine swimmers, so I bet that Genus can swim as well.

[–] Gonzako@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

I personally can't wait for the snakenado trilogy to come out

[–] bricked@feddit.org 1 points 5 hours ago

That's pretty cool and also quite scary!

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 45 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

Dragonflies.

Their nymph phase is aquatic and in their adult phase they only fly. Their legs are only for grasping.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 7 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

Pretty sure I've seen dragon flies crawling along plants on land?

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 hours ago

Pretty sure I've seen dragon flies crawling along plants on land?

Yes, you are pretty sure. Glad I could answer your question.

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 8 points 5 hours ago

They can shift around a little bit, but they don't really walk as a means of travel.

[–] bricked@feddit.org 2 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Good idea! I think fireflies can walk (over short distances), but maybe there are other insects close to water that can't.

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 41 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Flying Fish

[–] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 19 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

They don't really fly though, just glide a short distance after a jump.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 29 points 9 hours ago

Falling, with style!

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

If they actually generate lift I’d call it flying, but I don’t know if they do

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 4 points 8 hours ago

Gliding requires lift, but the lift they generate is mostly generated while they're still in the water as far as I know.

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago

That's more than I do.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 30 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Note that Markdown does tables:

|Creature|Swims|Walks|Flies|
|-|-|-|-|
|Dog|X|X||
|Fish|X|||
|Bird||X|X|
|Duck|X|X|X|

Yields:

Creature	Swims	Walks	Flies
Dog	X	X
Fish	X
Bird		X	X
Duck	X	X	X

[–] bricked@feddit.org 6 points 8 hours ago

Thanks, but it didn't render well on my client, so I wanted to play save.

[–] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Depends on the markdown dialect, it's not a standard feature. I didn't know Lemmy supports it.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 20 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

The common loon flies and swims, but isn't able to walk.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

TIL:

Loons are excellent swimmers, using their feet to propel themselves above and under water. However, since their feet are located far back on the body, loons have difficulty walking on land, though they can effectively run short distances to reach water when frightened. Thus, loons avoid coming to land, except for mating and nesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NK7t3cff30

[–] bricked@feddit.org 4 points 8 hours ago

Thanks! That's exactly what I've been searching for.

[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 22 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Cormorants don't walk well... Their legs are set far back on their body for more efficient swimming.

[–] bricked@feddit.org 8 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

I think this and loons are the closest to what I've been searching for! I even found a video of a loon having to be rescued because it's unable to walk.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 5 points 8 hours ago

Loons are another one.

[–] Fermion@mander.xyz 5 points 7 hours ago

We need to add digging/ tunneling to the grid.

[–] Lanusensei87@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

Japanese flying squids?

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I've always been of the opinion since fish can breathe underwater just like birds breathe above water, all fish are technically flying in their own environment.

[–] bricked@feddit.org 4 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

Does that also mean that birds swim in the air?

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 6 points 8 hours ago

Air is just significantly less dense water.

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[–] JBPinkle@bookwyr.me 5 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Did evolution really forget to cover this niche?

IANAScientist, but maybe being a creature that can potentially fly onto land but not be able to walk once there was an evolutionary disadvantage, and was bred out.

[–] notsosure@sh.itjust.works 5 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I don’t think ducks walk; they waddle 😂

[–] socsa@piefed.social 2 points 5 hours ago

Unlike geese, who menace

[–] ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com 7 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

So do I when I get hit in the balls

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago

Ttiwwop

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Thanks for sharing.

[–] s@piefed.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Dolphins?

[–] Limerance@piefed.social 2 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

They fly?

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

So long and thanks for all the fish ...

[–] s@piefed.world 3 points 7 hours ago

They fly now

[–] zabadoh@ani.social 1 points 6 hours ago

If you bolt jet packs onto them, yes.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Ducks are birds

[–] FritzApollo@lemmy.today 2 points 9 hours ago

🦇

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