Colubridae
Banded Flying Snake
HarmlessChrysopelea pelias
6 photographs of the Banded Flying Snake. © Borja Fierro.
The Banded Flying Snake (Chrysopelea pelias) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 8 countries.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Banded Flying Snake
The twin-barred tree snake (Chrysopelea pelias) is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia. It is also called the banded flying snake. It can glide, as with all species of its genus Chrysopelea, by stretching the body into a flattened strip using its ribs. It is fully arboreal, mostly found in moist forests, and can cover a horizontal distance of about 100 metres in a glide from the top of a tree. It is an oviparous snake.
Taxonomy
Chrysopelea pelias belongs to the genus Chrysopelea, which contains four other described species.
Chrysopelea is one of five genera belonging to the vine snake subfamily Ahaetuliinae, of which Chrysopelea is most closely related to Dendrelaphis, as shown in the cladogram below:
Distribution
It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, and Myanmar. It was erroneously reported in India.
Chrysopelea pelias has an overlapping range with the paradise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) in Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and Indonesia. However, Chrysopelea pelias is not nearly as common as the paradise tree snake.
Gliding
Chrysopelea pelias begins gliding by jumping in an upward position that seems to be different from the behavior of other limbless vertebrates. This way of moving, as seen in a closely related genus, might have been a behavioral precursor to the evolution of gliding in snakes.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Banded Flying Snake
- Is the Banded Flying Snake venomous?
- No. The Banded Flying Snake (Chrysopelea pelias) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Banded Flying Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Banded Flying Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Banded Flying Snake dangerous?
- The Banded Flying Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Banded Flying Snake live?
- The Banded Flying Snake has verified records in 8 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Colubridae snakes
Golden Tree SnakeChrysopelea ornata
Paradise Flying SnakeChrysopelea paradisi
Sri Lankan Flying SnakeChrysopelea taprobanica
Moluccan Flying SnakeChrysopelea rhodopleuron
Common Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis
Common WatersnakeNerodia sipedon
Gopher SnakePituophis catenifer
DeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Chrysopelea
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Chrysopelea pelias
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.