Cool Animal of the Day: The Gliding Paradise Snake

Gliding Paradise Snakes get their name from the fact that they can freakin’ glide. See, when these bad boys are in a tree and being pursued by a predator they simply take a leap and glide like a damn army paratrooper to safety. Seriously, snakes are bad enough and snakes that climb trees are worse. But snakes that can fly? Get that out of here, man. The Paradise Snake is found in southeastern Asia. It glides by stretching its body into a flattened strip using its ribs, which is weirdly cool. It can also cover a distance of about 100-yards in a single glide and damn that is unsettling to think about. Slow motion photography has shown an undulation of the snake’s body in flight while the head remains relatively stable, suggesting controlled flight which means it knows exactly where the hell its going. Want more? It’s also venomous and can constrict its prey. Good times! Anyhoo, Gliding Paradise Snake.

Bad dreams are made of this.