Flying snakes

Flying snakes

Credit: Jake Socha

The snake Chrysopelea paradisi, lives in Southeast Asia and glides between tree branches. [Read: Flying Snake Morphs Into UFO Shape to Glide]

High flyers

High flyers

Credit: Jake Socha

The snake's gliding abilities are no match for a bird's, but they compare pretty well to those of flying squirrels, ants and lizards.

Mystery maneuver

Mystery maneuver

Credit: Jake Socha

To get airborne, the snakes grasp a tree branch with their tail, then launch upwards.

Shape changes

Shape changes

Credit: Jake Socha, Virginia Tech.

They also seem to curl up and splay their ribs out to flatten their bodies, while undulating in the air.

In Paradise

In Paradise

Credit: Jake Socha

A flying paradise tree snake, Chrysopelea paradisi.

UFO Shape

UFO Shape

Credit: Jake Socha

Looked at in cross section, their flattened bodies resemble UFOs or rounded triangles, a shape that isn't typically found in engineered or natural flying objects.

Aerodynamic properties

Aerodynamic properties

Credit: Jake Socha

To see why the snakes flattened out, researchers at Virginia Tech made a 3-D model of the snake and put it into a flow chamber. The shape was surprisingly aerodynamic.

Next question

Next question

Credit: Jake Socha

Now, the researchers need to find out why the snake undulates as it glides.