I was walking along the coast today and spotted a colorful garter snake crawling through the underbrush, enjoying the sun just like I was. Snakes crawling on the ground is what we are accustomed to in most parts of the world. However, if you are in the jungles of South and Southeast Asia, you better keep your head up and an eye on the trees above as you are in the backyard of the Chrysopelea aka the Flying Snake.

According to National Geographic, these reptilian gliders are in fact more efficient fliers than the better known flying squirrel. The description of the actual process of flying is an alphabet soup:

“To prepare for take-off, a flying snake will slither to the end of a branch, and dangle in a J shape. It propels itself from the branch with the lower half of its body, forms quickly into an S, and flattens to about twice its normal width, giving its normally round body a concave C shape, which can trap air.”

Far Out Facts for Flying Snakes:

• One of the smaller varieties of flying snake can “fly” up to 330 feet
• Flying snakes spend most of their life in the canopy above the ground below where they hunt and survive
• The Chyropelea is not limited to free falling but instead can slither it’s way to alter its direction and attitude while in flight

Sometimes with amazing animals you just have to see it to believe it. Take a look at a snake in flight.

Heads up!