How Do Flying Snakes Fly?
They don't actually fly. What they do is more like parachuting, because they are not capable of flying or gliding upward. Here's how they do it:
- To prepare for take-off, the snake hangs from a branch in a J-shape, searching for a landing spot.
- The snake will then will either drop or it will leap off the branch, flattening its body up to twice its witch from the back of the head to the vent.
- In this flattened, concave C-shaped form, the body traps air to help it stay airborne.
This video is in a different language, but it does a great job of showing how flying snakes slither through the air from tree to tree. Like the video you can see on the Flying Snakes Animal Fact or Fiction page, this one also features the paradise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradise).
Despite the fact that flying snakes have no limbs or wings, they are able to stay airborne longer than many other gliding animals, like the flying squirrel. Plus, flying snakes have their own unique gliding style. All other gliders maintain a constant wing structure and make small adjustments, as needed. Flying snakes make their way through the air by rhythmically slithering in the air - undulating their bodies in an exaggerated S-shaped pattern.
"As [the snake] starts falling, it starts sending large S-shaped waves through its body mostly by moving its head from side to side," says Jake Socha of the University of Chicago. Socha has been studying flying snakes for 8 years. "It also keeps its body parallel to the ground."
According to recent research conducted by the University of Chicago, scientists discovered a co-relation between size and aerial ability. Smaller snakes are able to glide longer horizontal distances than the larger ones.
How many species of flying snake are there?
There are five species of flying snake: Moluccan flying snake (Chrysopelia rhodopleuron), Indian flying snake (Chrysopelia taprobanica), golden tree snake (Chrysopelea ornata) and twin-barred tree snake (Chrysopelea pelias). These mildly venomous live mainly in Southeast Asia, the Melanesian island and India. They are not considered dangerous to humans because the toxicity of their venom is so low.
Of these five species of flying snakes the three that are most well known are the paradise tree snake, golden tree snake and twin-barred tree snake. The golden tree snake, also known as the ornate flying snake, is the largest of the flying snake species. They can reach lengths of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters). Because they're so big, these snakes don't glide as well as the other flying snakes. The paradise tree snake gets to be about 3 feet long. Their gliding ability is considered to be among the best of the flying snake species. These snakes have been known to travel up to 330 feet (100 meters) in the air. The best glider is the rarest of the flying snake species – the twin-barred tree snake, also known as the banded flying snake. This species is also the smallest of the flying snakes. They only grow up to 2 feet (61 centimeters) in length.
Why do flying snakes glide?
Jake Socha, a scientist that has been studying flying snakes for over 8 years, thinks flying snakes glide to save energy. Other scientist believe they glide to escape predators, to move from tree to tree without having to descend to the forest floor and possibly even to hunt prey. In short, it's simply a more efficient way to get from one tree to another. Wouldn't you agree that it's a lot easier to glide to a tree 50 feet away instead of having to climb all the way down you're in, slither over to the other tree, then slither up the tree? Imagine if you just could glide from the living room or back yard to the dining room just in time for dinner! How cool is that?