The paradise flying snake can glide for 30 metres or more between the trees. It launches itself from a branch, using its tail to steer. Its body acts like a parachute, trapping air underneath, slowing it down as it floats down and lands on a lower branch.
Amazing! The fastest land snake is the deadly black mamba. There are tales of them overtaking galloping horses. This isn’t true but these speedy snakes can race along at about 20 kph.
Is it true? Snakes once had legs.
Yes. The ancestors of snakes were lizard-like creatures with two pairs of legs. Snakes today do not have legs. Their skeletons are made of a skull, a long backbone and many pairs of ribs. This gives snakes a long, thin shape for slithering across the ground.
Can snakes climb trees?
Many snakes slither through the trees, after birds and insects to eat. They are excellent climbers, with rough scales on the underside of their bodies to help them grip slippery branches.
How do snakes slither across loose sand?
Sidewinders have an unusual way of slithering across loose, shifting sand. The sand makes it difficult to get a firm grip. So they flip their bodies sideways in a series of large loops. It leaves a tell-tale set of lines behind in the sand, like the tracks of a bulldozer.
Picture Credit : Google