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Animal profile

Paradise Flying Snake

Chrysopelea paradisi

ReptiliaLowland rainforest and secondary forest canopy, plantations and gardensLeast Concern

Field profile

The paradise flying snake is a slender arboreal colubrid that glides between trees. It flattens its whole body into a concave aerofoil and undulates in the air to stay stable. Its rear-fanged venom acts on lizards and is not considered dangerous to humans.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-07-28

Paradise Flying Snake

Flying snakes must keep wriggling to stay airborne

A gliding Chrysopelea flattens its ribs into a shallow C-shaped cross-section and continues to undulate throughout the flight. Wind-tunnel and motion-capture work shows the undulation is not leftover slither; a snake that stops moving tumbles.

Read with evidence →

Paradise Flying Snake | Daily Animal Facts