FORGET FLYING PIGS, WHAT ABOUT FLYING SNAKES?
There are five species of flying snakes and they live from western India to the Indonesian archipelago. According to my research there is one species, the Twin-Barred snake, that is endangered, but I could not find data to support this statement. Nevertheless, just the idea of a flying snake was so fascinating to me that I just had to bring you all a bit of information, and of course a great video. So read on!
Here is a list of the
five known species of snakes that ‘fly.’ I have given you their common names.
The Paradise Tree Snake
The Twin-Barred Tree
Snake
The Golden Tree Snake
The Moluccan Flying Snake
The Sri Lanka Flying
Snake
It was previously believed that these snakes ‘parachuted,’ but scientists have discovered that there is
much more to their flying skills than that.
(Photo credit: Jake Socha)
So how do they do it? First,
let’s make something quite clear. These snakes can’t fly in the ordinary sense
of the word. They cannot gain altitude and they don’t have much control over their
trajectory. They simply launch themselves and glide. Sounds simple, but it’s not.
These snakes have evolved differently. They have the ability to flatten their
rib cages so their bodies are twice their normal width essentially making themselves into a
wing. This flattening of their bodies provides the surface area they need to drift on air. Also, gliding
snakes are small snakes. At most, they are six feet in length, and the smaller
they are, the better they glide.
(Photo credit: Jake Socha)
Their glide starts with
the snake slithering out to the end of a branch, creating a ‘j’ shape with
their tail, and then ‘jumping’ from the branch. In mid flight they stretch out
and flatten their ribs. They move their heads back and forth, creating a
wave-like motion that helps them stay aloft. As they descend, they gain speed
and their tail end touches down first, helping to soften their landing.
Diagram credit: hpcwire.com (see
link below)
Jake Socha has studied
flying snakes, and has filmed them in an effort to understand the physics of
their flight. The following two videos document his findings. Enjoy!
Flying Snakes Revealed
Incredible Flying Snake
Oh, and one more thing. These snakes are not terribly dangerous. Unlike other venomous snakes, their fangs are located toward the back of their mouth. Even if they do bite, their bite is not deadly.
To learn more about
flying snakes, visit the following sites:
Thanks for stopping by. I
hope you enjoyed this post. Please feel free to leave a comment and to share
the information with your family.
Jeanne E. Rogers, Award
Winning Author
The Sword of Demelza and The Gift of Sunderland
Middle Grade Fantasy
Where Endangered Animal Heroes Roam the Pages!
