This 'Flying' Snake Can Leap Off Trees And Glide Distances Of Over 300 Feet — A Biologist Explains

Forbes

a day ago

Snakes are typically regarded as land-dwelling creatures. But in the forests of southern Asia, a ... More remarkable lineage has taken to the sky.
Snakes have long captured human imagination, symbolizing everything from danger to wisdom. Yet, among the roughly 4,000 species slithering across our planet, only one genus has conquered the air: Chrysopelea.
Commonly called flying or gliding snakes, they have evolved a unique adaptation: they can leap from tree branches and control their descent, covering horizontal distances of up to 100 meters (328 feet) in a single glide.
This aerial prowess transforms dense tropical forests into three-dimensional playgrounds, granting them access to prey and escape routes otherwise inaccessible.
Of the five species in the genus, the golden flying snake (Chrysopelea ornata) is perhaps the most striking. Its iridescent green and gold scales, cross-hatch patterns and red-dotted morphs make it one of the most visually stunning snakes in its range.
Yet its appeal is more than skin-deep: this snake embodies an extraordinary evolutionary solution to arboreal life, combining powerful musculature, keeled scales adapted for climbing and neuromuscular coordination to achieve controlled 'flight.'
Native to South and Southeast Asia, the golden flying snake ranges from India and Sri Lanka through Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, southern China and Singapore (where it has been introduced).
It thrives in lowland rainforests, mangroves and even human-altered landscapes — it's frequently spotted in coconut palms, thatched roofs and garden foliage.
Golden flying snakes are excellent climbers, and take their arboreal skills a step further with the ... More ability to glide between trees.
Measuring up to 4.2 feet (130 cm), these snakes have a robust, slightly flattened body with pronounced keeled ventral scales that aid climbing. Their heads are broad with large eyes that are optimized for diurnal vision.
Equipped with rear-fangs and a mildly toxic venom, C. ornata subdues its prey — which consists of lizards and other small vertebrates — primarily in diurnal ambushes. Its large eyes and fast strikes make finding and catching prey an easy task, while the ability to glide between perches expands its hunting grounds and enhances survival.
(Sidebar: Most snakes, like Asia's flying snakes, are solitary creatures — but not all. Earlier this month, 75,000 snakes swarmed a small Canadian town. Find out why here.)
The golden flying snake bears two main color morphs — a green-yellow form sports bold black streaks and occasional reddish dorsal spots, and another form where the same base hues are overlaid with subtler crossbars. These patterns help the snake blend seamlessly into the surrounding foliage.
Anatomy of a flying snake (Chrysopelea) in motion. Cross-sections show the body at rest (top) and ... More mid-glide (middle), with a full-body depiction of the snake in flight (bottom).
Unlike true flyers, flying snakes "glide" by flattening their body and creating a U-shaped concavity along their ventral surface, increasing aerodynamic drag to convert a vertical drop into horizontal travel.
To initiate flight, it anchors its tail, propels its head forward and then releases to dive. Muscular contractions flatten the body cross-section from circular to highly depressed, forming a wing-like airfoil. The initial thrust, combined with body flattening, generates sufficient lift for sustained gliding.
Mid-air, C. ornata executes lateral undulations — wave-like body motions — that fine-tune lift and direction. By varying the amplitude and frequency of these undulations, they can adjust the glide angle and even turn toward targeted landing spots.
Some studies suggest that launching from tree cavities or branches at specific angles further optimizes its glide performance.
Researchers have recorded glides exceeding 328 feet (100 m) from heights of 100 feet (30 m). Such distances rival gliding mammals like flying squirrels, all without the aid of limbs or patagia.
Molecular studies have suggested that Chrysopelea's gliding evolved once in the genus's common ancestor, roughly 20 million years ago. The genus currently comprises five recognized species — C. ornata, C. paradisi, C. pelias, C. rhodopleuron and C. taprobanica — distributed from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia and the Indonesian archipelago.
C. paradisi and C. ornata are two of the more well-known snakes in the genus. The former, which goes by the paradise tree snake, is noted for gliding even more efficiently than C. ornata, often launching from taller canopies in Borneo and the Philippines.
C. taprobanica, or the Sri Lankan flying snake, on the other hand, is endemic to Sri Lanka and parts of southern India. It displays light brown scales edged in black with darker crossbars, resembling forest-dappled sunlight — an adaptation that provides camouflage in dense foliage.
These incredible snakes exemplify how relatively simple modifications can unlock entirely new modes of life and will continue to inspire biomimetic designs in engineering and robotics.
Does the thought of snakes gliding through the air at frightening speeds fill you with dread? You may have zoophobia, an intense and persistent fear of certain animals. Take this test to find out how to manage its impact on your life: Fear Of Animals Scale