Gliding flight in the paradise tree snake (original) (raw)

Kinematics

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Daly, M. Bombay Nat. Hist. J. 12, 589 (1899).
    Google Scholar
  2. Flower, S. S. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 16 May (1899).
  3. Wall, F. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 18, 227–243 (1908).
    Google Scholar
  4. Vaughn-Arbuckle, K. H. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 56, 640–642 (1959).
    Google Scholar
  5. Pendlebury, H. M. Bull. Raffles Mus. 5, 75 (1931).
    Google Scholar
  6. Heyer, W. R. & Pongsapipatana, S. Herpetologica 26, 317–319 (1970).
    Google Scholar
  7. Scholey, K. D. in Biona Report 5, Bat flight – Fledermausflug (ed. Nachtigall, W.) 187–204 (Fischer, Stuttgart, 1986).
    Google Scholar
  8. McGuire, J. Phylogenetic Systematics, Scaling Relationships, and the Evolution of Gliding Performance in Flying Lizards (genus Draco). Thesis, Univ. Texas, Austin (1998).
    Google Scholar
  9. Emerson, S. B. & Koehl, M. A. R. Evolution 44, 1931–1946 (1990).
    PubMed Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

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

Authors

  1. John J. Socha
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence toJohn J. Socha.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

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

Download citation