CHICAGO, May 12 (UPI) -- University of Chicago scientists studying tree snakes that flatten and whip their bodies to glide through the air say when it comes to size smaller is better.
Researchers first documented snake flight in the journal Nature in August 2002. Biologist Jake Socha described the aerodynamic features of the paradise tree snake -- one of five tropical snake species that can turn in mid-air.
Scientists report on the effects of size on behavior of flying snakes in the May 15, 2005, issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology. The study found a short body length of three or four feet and wave amplitude were important predictors of flight behavior, not how frequently the snake slithered.
"Despite their lack of wing-like appendages, flying snakes are skilled aerial locomotors," said Socha, who has studied the unique creatures for eight years.
The paradise tree snake and golden tree snake travel further horizontally than vertically when they leap from trees by flattening their body to become Frisbee-like. Both species live in rainforests.
Flying squirrels, lizards and gliding birds maintain a constant wing structure to glide.
