Zhang and colleagues considered "Scansoriopteryx" to be arboreal based on the elongated nature of the hand and specializations of the foot. These authors stated that the long hand and strongly curved claws were adaptations for climbing and moving around among tree branches. They viewed this as an early stage in the evolution of the bird wing, stating that the forelimbs became well-developed for climbing, and that this development later led to the evolution of a wing capable of flight. They argued that long, grasping hands are more suited to climbing than to flight, since most flying birds have relatively short hands. Zhang "et al." also noted that the foot of "Scansoriopteryx" is unique among non-avian theropods; while "Scansoriopteryx" does not preserve a reversed hallux (the backward-facing toe seen in modern perching birds), its foot was very similar in construction to primitive perching birds like "Cathayornis" and "Longipteryx". These adaptations for grasping ability in all four limbs, the authors argued, makes it likely that "Scansoriopteryx" spent a significant amount of time living in trees.