Chrysopelea
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 Ornate Flying Snake, Chrysopelia ornata
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Chrysopelea ornata |
Chrysopelea, or more commonly known as the flying snakes, is a genus that belongs to the family Colubridae. Flying snakes are mildly venomous, though they are considered harmless because their toxicity is not dangerous to humans. Their range of habitat is mostly concentrated to southeast Asia, the Melanesian islands, and India.
[edit] Gliders
Chrysopelea are called "flying snakes", though this is misleading, as they actually glide instead of flying. This is done by flattening their bodies to up to twice their width from the back of the head to the vent. Impressively, these snakes can glide better in comparison to flying squirrels and other gliding animals – a grand feat for a creature lacking any limbs, wings or wing-like projections. Their destination is mostly predicted by ballistics; however, they can exercise some in-flight attitude control by "slithering" in the air. Their ability to glide has been an object of interest for physicists in recent years, and studies continue to be made on what other, more subtle factors contribute to their flight.
[edit] Species
There are five recognized species under the genus Chrysopelea. They go in order from weak to excellent gliding prowess:
Twin-Barred Tree Snake or Banded Flying Snake, Chrysopelea pelias (Linnaeus, 1758): This is one of the smaller species of flying snake, reaching up to three feet in length. It is normally a gray color with a brick-red spine, crossed by black and white bands down the body. Though it is able to glide, its ability to do so is weak, almost nearing parachuting.
Golden Tree Snake or Ornate Flying Snake, Chrysopelea ornata (Shaw, 1802): This is the largest species, reaching lengths between three and four feet. Though it is called the Golden Tree Snake, there are other color phases as well: the black-headed, golden body phase (for which it was named); a jade green phase with black and golden head markings; and a blue phase. Like the Twin-Barred Tree Snake, its gliding ability is weak, however better than some.
Paradise Tree Snake, Chrysopelea paradisii (Boie & Boie, 1827): This is the smallest species, reaching up to only two feet in length and weighing as much as four paper clips. Their pattern often vary from being extremely colorful, with a black body speckled with reds and blues on the spine, to resemble the green phase of the Golden Tree Snake, with a darker hue and a black band crossing the eyes. Despite its small size, the Paradise Tree Snake can glide up to 330 ft, further than other known gliding animals.
Lesser studied species are:
- Moluccan Flying Snake, Chrysopelia rhodopleuron (Boie, 1827)
- Indian Flying Snake, Chrysopelia taprobanica (Smith, 1943)
