Bipedalism in Animals: These Creatures Can Stand, Walk on Their Two Legs

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Bipedalism generally refers to using just two legs for walking.

Several animals have adopted bipedalism as their main mode of travel.

Bipedal Animals

Ostrich

These bipedal, flightless, and heavy birds have long, strong, and unique legs that push them forward.

With speeds that could go up to 43 miles per hour, ostriches are considered one of the world's fastest bird runners. Such speeds enable them to keep up with the pace of racing cars.

Though these birds do not have flying abilities, their wings still serve functional purposes. Ostriches typically make use of their six-feet wingspan to serve as rudders that help them change their direction when they run. Doing so is not an easy feat, given their weight of almost 300 pounds.

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Kangaroos

These bipedal creatures have strong legs that enable them to move forward at a rate of 43 miles per hour. Kangaroos also have massive tails that help them maintain balance as they move and sit.

Kangaroos are the only bipedal marsupials that move forward using their two legs rather than their four legs. They typically move around by hopping and jumping on their back legs, which have a unique Z-shape.

At times, they make use of a five-legged gait, which involves forelimb and tail balance as their hind legs propel them forward.

Kangaroo Rats

These rats have been named after actual kangaroos for their length and kangaroo-like back feet. These creatures usually hop through the desert using their two hind legs, making them bipedal animals.

Though kangaroo rats are just as big as the fists of humans, they are incredibly agile and fast. They can hop at a rate of six miles per hour and leap distances of up to nine feet.

Kangaroo rats usually dig burrows below the surface or within large earth mounds. Some species build nests.

Interestingly, though they live in the desert, they are also good at swimming.

Basilisk Lizards

Basilisk lizards are among the 50 lizard species that exhibit bipedalism. When they engage in bipedal locomotion, their forelimbs leave the surface while their trunk gets elevated. The movement is only powered by the hindlimbs.

These lizards, also known as the Jesus Christ Lizards, are known to exhibit such bipedal locomotion in the water. They typically incorporate such bipedalism as a mechanism for escape.

Pangolins

Pangolins are mammals that feed on insects and are covered with overlapping and tough scales. They make use of their sticky and long tongues for feeding on termites and ants. They can also quickly roll themselves into a compact ball in the face of a threat.

Because their front legs have big claws, their walk ends up getting affected. As a result, they adopt a bipedal way of walking with their hind legs. Pangolins also use their tails to keep their bodies balanced by holding their tails off the ground.