Paradise Flying Snake

The paradise flying snake is among the most celebrated of the gliding snakes, known for its ability to leap from tree branches and glide considerable distances by flattening its body into a concave, wing-like shape. It is mildly venomous, using rear fangs primarily to subdue small prey, with no significant medical risk to humans.

Its vivid patterning and unusual locomotion have made it a subject of biomechanical research into gliding and undulating flight among vertebrates.

• Slender body adapted for climbing and gliding
• Black dorsal scales patterned with green, yellow, or reddish spots, often forming a mosaic or chain-like pattern
• Reddish or orange coloration sometimes present along the back
• Large eyes with round pupils
• Ventral scales that allow the body to flatten into a concave shape during glides

Its vividly speckled black-and-green-yellow pattern, more colorful than the golden tree snake, along with its habitual gliding behavior, aids identification.

Found in lowland and hill rainforest across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and the Philippines, typically in tall trees within forested or semi-forested habitats.

Diurnal and highly arboreal, rarely descending to the ground. It launches itself from high branches and glides by flattening its body and undulating in the air to control its trajectory and land safely on another tree or the ground. Diet consists of lizards, frogs, and small mammals. Reproduction is oviparous, with clutches of several eggs.