Flying Snakes — How They Do It
Found in Wired News: Furthermore
Switching to Glide
02:00 AM May. 14, 2005 PT Forget about snakes in the grass — beware of sailing serpents. While it’s not exactly news that some snakes take to the air, a University of Chicago researcher finally figured out exactly how the limbless reptiles pull off their amazingly effective bird imitations. “Despite their lack of winglike appendages, flying snakes are skilled aerial locomotors,” said biologist Jake Socha. Here’s how: First, they flatten their bodies from head to tail, making themselves “Frisbee-like in form,” Socha said. Then, as the snake drops (or leaps!) from a tree branch, it sends S-shaped waves through its body, steadying itself as it glides through the air. One species can even turn mid-flight. (The video is priceless.)
– Lewis Wallace
Socha’s web site is flyingsnake.org
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