5 Animals With Longer Legs
In nature there are many records and they are all based on the survival of the species. Animals with longer legs present this characteristic because the length of their limbs allow them to move faster, reach higher in search of food or even avoid being attacked.
What are the animals with the longest legs?
In most cases, animals with longer legs belong to the wader family. But are not the only ones! There are also examples among mammals and invertebrates. Keep reading to know them:
1. Flamenco
This beautiful bird is known for several aspects, including its pink coloration and long limbs. It is also famous for its hooked beak, for the movements it makes with its head to all sides – as if it were dancing – and for being able to stand on one leg.
The flamingo – the photo that opens this article – can measure a total of 140 centimeters and lives in shallow waters almost all over the world. Build mud nests and lay only one egg per season. It feeds on algae and crustaceans thanks to a filtration process by which it separates the food from the water.
2. Skull spider
Spiders are known for their multiple limbs, some of them very fine and in other cases thick and hairy. Skull spiders are one of the animals with the longest legs, since they measure up to six times the length of their body.
It usually lives in roofs, caves, cellars or garages, and it feeds on smaller insects or arachnids. She is quite calm and, when disturbed, violently shakes her web as a method of defense. Unlike what was formerly believed, the long-legged spider is not poisonous, even if it bites an invertebrate.
3. Giraffe
Known for its long neck and spotty fur, this typical African mammal also holds a record for being one of the longest-legged animals in existence. The front and rear limbs are almost the same length, and they have a kind of ‘knee’ that allows them to flex when they need to rest or to gallop.
Giraffe legs can measure up to four meters, and although they appear thin and delicate… they are a great defense weapon! With them they can protect themselves from the threats of predators: they give powerful kicks and their sharp hooves hurt even the largest cats.
4. Crane
The crane is a more than symbolic bird in Japan and that lives in open places, known for walking striding between water and grasslands. The crane lives in flocks and. once it forms a couple, it maintains it for life. Every year they perform a beautiful courtship dance, with jumps and sounds like a trumpet.
With mostly white plumage, cranes are a sight to see in mid-flight when they make long migrations between breeding and wintering grounds. Their elongated legs have three large toes and one small, which allow them to walk through the mud without problems.
5. Ostrich
To finish with this list of animals with longer legs, we could not ignore the ostrich, the largest bird and that, thanks to its limbs, can run at amazing speeds. It is worth noting that the ostrich cannot fly because its wings are too small to support its almost 180 kilos of weight.
The ostrich lives in arid or semi-arid areas, and open spaces such as the savannah and the plains. It lacks teeth, but its movable tongue helps it get food, mainly plants, although from time to time it can consume arthropods and small animals.
