Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Has anyone observed tree snakes climbing like this before?

A little video showing the snake in action
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xGPqBbdIc

To overcome a distance the snake stretches out, then arches the front of its body up and throws its forebody at the branch. It may be common practice but I hadn't observed it before.

Perhaps Mambas, Boomslangs and Vine Snakes etc also use this techinique.

The Common Tree Snake Dendrelaphis punctulata is a harmless colubrid from northern and eastern Australia. Depending on where it is from, they can vary in colour from green, through to brown, yellow, blue and almost black. The one shown in this video is from Kakadu in the Northern Territory where locally they are referred to as Golden Tree Snakes.

I remember reading an article of Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) exhibitting the same behavior when crossing wide spans. A google search might bring it up.

Terry

I've noticed that Vinesnakes keep their tongues extended and appear to use it as a site the way cats use wiskers, when maneuvering through the brush.