Golden Tree Snake

Chrysopelea ornata.jpg



Chrysopelea ornata ( Golden Tree Snake) is a colubrid snake found in both South and Southeast Asia. It is, along with the other species in its genus Chrysopelea, very unusual in that it is capable of a type of gliding flight. It is also rear-fanged. Currently, three subspecies are recognized. The snake's striking looks and capability of gliding make it a popular choice for captivity.





Classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Reptilia

Ordo : Squamata

Family : Serpentes

Genus : Colubridae

Description

Golden Tree Snake is usually green in color, with black cross-hatching and yellow or gold colored accents. The body, though slender, is far less so than in other tree snakes. It has a flattened head with constricted neck, a blunt nose and large eyes with round pupils.
The lateral, sharp and pronounced keeled condition of the ventrals in association with the normal, not enlarged, vertebral row of scales distinguish this snake.
This snake ranges from 11.5 to 130 cm (0.38 to 4.27 ft) long. Maturity is reached at about 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. The tail is about one-fourth of the total length.

Habitat

The golden tree snake is naturally accustomed to arboreal (on the ground) life in rainforests, dry deciduous forests, plantations, agricultural areas and rural gardens. Like its relative the Paradise Tree Snake, this snake is able to glide through the air. The snake can climb to significant heights in trees or even the walls of buildings. They are very often seen moving up coconut palms or vertical rock faces in curves, using their scales to grip the surfaces.


Fun Fact

The Golden Tree Snake is one of the few “flying snakes”These snakes cannot actually fly, but glide to some degree by flattening out their body, forming a U-shaped cavity with their underbelly, and twisting in the air as they jump from high branches. It is believed that this behavior is used to move about the forest, catch prey, and as a defense mechanism against predators. They can cover as much as 100m in a single leap if they start from a tall enough tree.




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