Golden Tree Snake
Chrysopelea ornata • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Chrysopelea, Species: C. ornata
South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Look up Golden Tree Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Chrysopelea, Species: C. ornata
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed habitats, and stable populations.
Physical Description
Slender body with a distinctive greenish-yellow to golden coloration marked by bold black crossbands and often red or orange spots between the scales. The head is slightly distinct from the neck with large eyes and round pupils, and the ventral scales feature specialized lateral keels for locomotion on rough surfaces.
Size & Dimensions
Typical adults reach a total length of 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 inches), with exceptional specimens growing up to 150 cm or more.
Habitat
Primarily found in tropical rainforests, secondary forests, forest edges, and frequently adapts to human-modified environments such as rural gardens, plantations, and urban areas with trees or structures.
Diet & Feeding
Active diurnal forager preying primarily on arboreal lizards, geckos, and occasionally small rodents or bats.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, females typically deposit clutches of 6 to 14 eggs in rotting wood, tree hollows, or damp soil during the warmer months.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, high adaptability to disturbed habitats, and stable populations.
Cultural Significance
Often encountered in human settlements within its range, playing an ecological role in controlling gecko and lizard populations, and occasionally recognized for its unique ability to glide between trees.
Notable Features
Famous for its aerodynamic gliding ability, allowing the snake to flatten its body and leap from trees to glide significant distances through the air.