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Kinematics

Gliding flight in the paradise tree snake

Nature volume 418, pages 603–604 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Most vertebrate gliders, such as flying squirrels, use symmetrically paired 'wings' to generate lift during flight, but flying snakes (genus Chrysopelea) have no such appendages or other obvious morphological specializations to assist them in their aerial movements1,2,3,4,5,6. Here I describe the three-dimensional kinematics of gliding by the paradise tree snake, Chrysopelea paradisi, which indicate that the aerial behaviour of this snake is unlike that of any other glider and that it can exert remarkable control over the direction it takes, despite an apparent lack of control surfaces.

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Figure 1: Representative glide trajectory of Chrysopelea paradisi (snout–vent length, 64 cm; mass, 27 g).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 East 57th Street, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    John J. Socha

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  1. John J. Socha
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Correspondence to John J. Socha.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Socha, J. Gliding flight in the paradise tree snake. Nature 418, 603–604 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/418603a

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