Some of these animals have more than only one method of moving around
The term “bipedal” in biology refers to the animals that need only two legs for walking. There are also several groups of modern species that are called habitual bipeds. This means that these species choose two-legged walking as their normal mope of travel.
Here are some animal species that walk on two legs either habitually or periodically.
Kangaroo
Kangaroos are usually seen moving around on their two hind legs. They have strong muscular legs and a large tail that also helps them jump around. This is why, they sometimes walk on five “legs”. But such method of travel isn’t that comfortable. Kangaroos can also only hop forward. They are not capable of hopping backward, as their thick tail only keeps them balanced for forward-moving travel.
Gorilla
Gorillas are habitual quadrupeds, which means they move on all 4 of their legs. However, these animals can also walk on two hinder legs, just like humans. Some gorillas bred in captivity might even prefer walking this way. Their typical movement is called “knuckle-walking”. It is when a primate moves by putting weight on the tops of its knuckles versus using its palms. And when they are not moving swiftly on their knuckles or climbing trees, you can find them standing around and walking short distances on two legs with their arms held slack by their sides.
Pangolin
Pangolin or “artichoke with legs” is similar to anteater, but covered in keratin scales that act as armor. These animals usually use all 4 of their legs to walk, but you might as well come across them walking in two. Like Kangaroos, they also use their tail to keep balance. They move pretty slowly and stop often to rise on two legs and sniff the air. And when they find the situation right, they can run up to 5 mph this way.
Chimpanzee
Just like other primates, chimpanzees prefer walking on two of their legs. For their everyday activities, knuckle-walk is the best method. These monkeys, however, can easily walk on their two legs too. But their skeletons do not support walking on two legs regularly.
Kangaroo Rat
Kangaroo Rats move around on their two hind legs. They are the size of a human fist, but they are really fast and agile. When caught in an attack, they will use their hind legs to karate-kick mid-air.
Basilisk Lizard
These unusual creatures are also called “Jesus Lizards”, as they can run on water. They usually run on their hind legs when they are spooked and surprised.
Ostrich
Ostrich is a heavy-bodied flightless bipedal bird. Their strong and long legs are able to hold these birds and help them move around. In fact, Ostrich is the fastest-running bird on the planet. They have wings, but cannot fly. However, their wings also have a mission. They use their six-foot wingspan as rudders, helping them change direction while running, which is not a simple task when they weigh nearly 300 pounds.
Wallaby
Just like kangaroos, wallabies also cannot use their hind legs freely. Instead, they jump around. The tail is again used for balance. Their primary method of travel is hopping, but when they need to travel faster, they use all their 4 legs.
Penguin
Just like all the birds, penguins are also bipedal animals. These birds do not fly, but other then shuffling, they have other modes of travel too. To get to their destination faster or escape predation, penguins will hop or run with their bodies positioned at a forward angle.
Flamingo
These bright pink birds are usually seen walking in shallow water on two legs. As a type of wading birds, they do not use their legs only for walking. With the help of their legs, flamingos stomp the muddy water making their food float to the surface. They can easily walk and stand on their two legs and sometimes even run when they feel any threat. When they get too far into the deep water, they can also swim a little. Moreover, these birds can as well fly short distances.
