Golden Tree Snake

Chrysopelea ornata (Thai: งูเขียวพระอินทร์) is a species of mildly venomous opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) colubrid snake found in both South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is commonly known as the golden tree snake, ornate flying snake, and golden flying snake. Along with the other species in the genus Chrysopelea, the golden tree snake is unusual, as it is capable of a type of gliding "flight" (more of a controlled "throwing" or "falling") — mainly utilised during the pursuit of prey animals — from tree-to-tree. This action is also used to great effect for the snake to flee its own potential predators (such as birds or other reptiles). Currently, three subspecies are recognised. The snake's striking looks, and potential for gliding, have made it a coveted choice for captivity.

Etymology

The species name ornata is Latin for "decorated or "ornamented", in reference to the ornate coloration.

Common names

English: golden tree snake, gliding snake, ornate flying snake, golden flying snake, gold and black tree snake, flying tree snake

Hindi: kala jin.

Sinhala: pol-mal-karawala, malsara.

German: Gelbgrüne Schmuckbaumnatter, Gewöhnliche Schmuckbaumnatter.

Bengali: কালনাগিনী (Kaalnagini), উড়ন্ত সাপ, উড়াল মহারাজ সাপ, সুন্দরী সাপ, কালসাপ, কালনাগ

Konkani: Naneto

Nepali: Seerise

Thai: งูเขียวดอกหมาก (Ngoo kee-ow dork maak)

Khmer: ពស់តុកកែ (Pous Tok Kae)

Malayalam: നാഗത്താൻ പാമ്പ് (nagathan pambu)

Taxonomy

Chrysopelea ornata 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:

Subspecies

Three subspecies of C. ornata are recognized:

C. o. ornata (Shaw, 1802) – southwest India

C. o. ornatissima Werner, 1925 – north and east India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia

C. o. sinhaleya Deraniyagala, 1945 – Sri Lanka.

Geographic range

It is found in India (North Bengal), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Western Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China (Hong Kong, Hainan, Yunnan), and Singapore (introduced).

In India, Chrysopelea ornata ranges from the Western Ghats, up to the Dangs, Katernia Ghat in Uttar Pradesh, North Bihar, northern West Bengal eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh. It is also found in the forests of the Andaman Islands.

Description

Chrysopelea ornata is usually green in color, with black cross-hatching and yellow or gold colored accents. The body, though slender, is far less so than in other tree snakes. It has a flattened head with constricted neck, a blunt nose and large eyes with round pupils.

The lateral, sharp and pronounced keeled condition of the ventrals in association with the normal, not enlarged, vertebral row of scales distinguish this snake.