[Animals] animals that walk on water

[#Wittels-]

Walking on water has been considered magical or supernatural. But nature is exceptional. In fact, it is so great that there are numerous cases of animals that can walk on water. These animals are not magical or anything like that, but rather they have characteristics that make it possible for them to walk on water. In this EcologíaVerde article we will explain how this works and the animals that walk on water.

Why do some animals walk on water?
Water is a knowingly flexible and fluid medium that can be transferred without problem. But surely you have seen animals that can suspend and walk on water, how is this possible?

Insects can do this because their weight does not break the surface tension of the water, where hydrogen bonds are used to "shape" and control the boundary of the water. In order not to break the surface tension they have to be:

very light
small in size
With impermeability in its extremities: to avoid the absorption of water
On the other hand, there are cases of vertebrate animals that are not so small and not so light. In this case, they hit the water with their legs like a slap, which generates forces that propel them and support their weight.

The reason for this strange ability is oriented towards feeding, both to hunt and to escape predators. It also works so that certain organisms have a safe environment to lay their eggs.

Next we will present some animals that can walk in the water and what particularities they have to achieve it

 

Raft spiders (Dolomedes fimbriatus)
Spiders have a very particular system to be able to walk, not only in the water but also out of it. Specifically, we can talk about raft spiders (Dolomedes fimbriatus). They are invertebrates without muscles, so they need to exert force outwards so that their legs do not bend inwards. They exert hydraulic pressure, where hemolymph is pushed into the spiders to create pressure.

This same pressure is sustained when they are walking on water. Being their legs very thin, and having multiple, the already reduced weight of the spiders is distributed among the eight legs, exerting minimal pressure on the water and without breaking the hydrogen bonds.

We leave you this other article on the Parts of the spider so that you have more information on the subject.

Cobbler (Gerris lacustris)
Gerris lacustris are insects that have the typical six legs of similar size but, unlike the other insects, they have the second pair of very long legs. It uses them to take advantage of the surface tension of the water with the minimum possible force.

On the tips of these legs they have water-repellent hairs, where they create a water bubble to keep them afloat. The back legs of these water-walking animals are also a bit long, and they use them for support and direction when moving. The front legs are short and it uses them to maneuver.

 

Mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti)
Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. This is where they lay their hydrophobic eggs. These will hatch and go through the larva and pupa phase in the water. With this information it is easy to understand that adult mosquitoes need mechanisms to walk on water and be able to lay their eggs.

These water-walking animals also use surface tension and lean on their hydrophobic legs to support themselves without breaking the water. If they do, it may be impossible for them to get out of it, especially since their wings get wet and they can't detach to fly.

Many of the Aedes aegypti are of medical importance for transmitting multiple diseases to humans. Among the prevention measures is the cleaning of stagnant water, due to the need that mosquitoes have towards this environment.

Discover what mosquitoes are for in this other article that we recommend from EcologíaVerde.

Jesus Christ lizards or basilisks (Basiliscus spp.)
These lizards are very agile and can run on water. So far we've only seen arthropods, and this is an amazing example of vertebrates that can walk on water. To achieve this, they have a very long and thin tail that gives them stability and hind legs with tiny fins that hit the water, and that can go back when they walk on land.

In addition to these structures, the Basiliscus spp. They use a very fast speed of 1.5 meters per second to cross over the water, managing not to break the surface tension. If they run slightly slower, they will sink. They use this strategy to escape predators and can drop from trees to run on water.

Geckos (Gekkonidae)
The Gekkonidae are very skilled. They are not only animals that can walk on water, but can also run on it at similar speeds as when on land, using different tactics. They have a hydrophobic and water-repellent skin that reduces drag and water drag.

Being of medium size, they use the surface tension strategy but also the one of hitting the water with their legs to walk on the water. In addition to this, air bubbles form under its legs that support it on the surface. Lastly, they undulate their body and tail to create forward propulsion.

 

Snails (Helix aspersa)
A particular case among mollusc animals are the snails (Helix aspersa) that can walk underwater, but we do not mean that they walk on the underwater floor, but that they walk hanging and submerged right on the dividing line of the atmosphere with the water and holding on to it. This was achieved in a dynamic in which the participant:

the mucus
The surface tension.
The creation of waves.
pressure differences.
In addition, these animals that walk on water also help themselves to the buoyancy of the air that they keep in their shell.

 

Jacana or bird Jesus Christ (Jacana jacana)
These birds, also called lily walkers, appear to walk on water, but actually spend virtually their entire lives walking on the leaves of water lilies, rarely making it to dry land. They even make their nests on these floating leaves. They are not good at swimming but they are good at flying. Their toes are exceptionally long, so they have more surface area when they step on them to spread their weight over floating vegetation.

 

If you want to read more articles similar to Animals that walk on water, we recommend you visit our Wild animals category.

 

Link: https://www.ecologiaverde.com/animales-que-caminan-sobre-el-agua-3835.html