Flying Snakes' Secret Revealed

Dark Knight

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
21,649
Reaction score
82
The snake dangles 49 feet (15 meters) off the ground, tail entwined around a branch. Suddenly, the animal rears up and launches, flinging its body toward the forest floor.


In other reptiles, the leap would be suicidal, or at least an invitation for broken bones. But the snake in question is a Chrysopelea paradisi, one of five related species of tree-dwelling snakes from Southeast and South Asia. When these snakes leap, it's not to nosedive; it's to glide from tree to tree, a feat they can accomplish at distances of at least 79 feet (24 m).



Video and more at link:


http://news.yahoo.com/s//livescience/20101123/sc_livescience/flyingsnakessecretrevealed/
 
Oh he77 no! There's a snake in that tree...crap, now it's flying!!!!

AAAHHH

I overreact a bit when it comes to snakes. :blush:
 
Oh he77 no! There's a snake in that tree...crap, now it's flying!!!!

AAAHHH

I overreact a bit when it comes to snakes. :blush:

LOL! Snakes don't bother me too much, but I'm pretty sure a snake flying at me from a tree would cause a similar reaction, lol. :crazy:
 
Oh he77 no! There's a snake in that tree...crap, now it's flying!!!!

AAAHHH

I overreact a bit when it comes to snakes. :blush:

Yer not alone... I freak out at the mere mention of them. LoL Right now I am curled up in a chair with my feet under me... just a reaction to the word snake. Never can tell when that word will call them suckers out to roam around the floor, and I don't want to take a chance... even though I am 20 stories up in a Manhattan hotel. LoL But then again, we are talking about flying snakes.
 
So what's their secret? Do they swallow air and fart it out like a balloon? Do they have skin pockets to catch air, slowing their decent?
... (is it ...The Force?!!!)

I can't click the link; it gives me the slithering willies!
 
So what's their secret? Do they swallow air and fart it out like a balloon? Do they have skin pockets to catch air, slowing their decent?
... (is it ...The Force?!!!)

I can't click the link; it gives me the slithering willies!

I couldn't watch the whole thing, but I would like to know the secret. Maybe we could stop them from flying around. I like the farting theory. lol

6a00e54efc2ad688340120a5c59dc1970b-pi
 
It was a combination of the angle in which they fell, combined with them slithering while falling while raising their tails up and down. All of those factors combined gave them enough "lift" to soar for quite some distance.
 
This is really cool, I never even knew such a thing existed as a flying snake. Animals facinate me so much!!
 
All I could think about watching it is "PULL" like they would make great skeet shooting targets! :angel:

Sorry, I can't stand snakes.
 
It was a combination of the angle in which they fell, combined with them slithering while falling while raising their tails up and down. All of those factors combined gave them enough "lift" to soar for quite some distance.

Actually, that's really pretty cool. I wouldn't want to see one, but how they're able to fly is fascinating. They don't seem aerodynamic, ya know. :)
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
194
Guests online
2,036
Total visitors
2,230

Forum statistics

Threads
589,964
Messages
17,928,417
Members
228,021
Latest member
Ghost246
Back
Top