Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis) are elite climbers.
The exceptional climbing ability of this introduced species
has enabled it to wreak havoc on Guam, decimating the
native birdlife by climbing into nests and eating birds and
their offspring. The snakes are also causing a nuisance by
climbing power poles, causing electrical outages and short
circuits!
manoeuvring to avoid obstacles when airborne, and can
glide for up to 100 metres! Gliding saves energy, allows a
greater distance to be traversed in a shorter amount of
time, and means the snakes do not have to be exposed to
ground-based predators.
Some snakes have evolved highly-modified bodies as
‘ Sea snakes’ LUNGS have been modified to INCREASE
BUOYANCY , and can OCCUPY 100% of the TRUNK . ’
Amazingly, snakes of the genus Chrysopelea are also
capable of gliding between trees. This is not a kamikaze
free fall! Upon reaching the end of a branch, the snake
makes a J-shaped bend and, after selecting a destination,
leans forwards at the level of inclination required to
control its flight path. It then thrusts itself up and away
from the branch, and by spreading the ribs and broadening
the body to create a deeply concave ventral surface,
effectively creates a ‘pseudo-wing’ which generates lift.
Continual serpentine movements are made during ‘flight’,
which stabilises direction in mid-air and facilitates safe
landing. Chrysopelea species show remarkable control,
adaptations to an exclusively fossorial lifestyle, as
exemplified by the early-diverging clade Scolecophidia,
comprising typhlopids (blindsnakes), leptotyphlopids
(threadsnakes) and anomalepidids (early blindsnakes). To
help burrow through the substrate, these small snakes
have thin, cylindrical bodies, blunted heads, highly-
reduced eyes and short tails. To reduce friction and repel
attacks from aggressive insects that abound underground,
they have very thick, smooth, overlapping scales.
The snake body plan can also be considered to be
pre-adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, given that snakes have