When threatened, dwarf reed snakes do more than slither away. These tiny snakes, native to Southeast Asia, can launch into a series of cartwheel-like movements that help them disappear from approaching predators.
Scientists first reported the unusual defense in 2023, but it was unclear how the snakes managed to roll without veering away from their intended path. A new analysis has now examined the mechanics of the behavior and found that the snakes can move roughly four times faster while rolling than while slithering.
The research team, led by ecologist Yosuke Kojima of Toho University in Chiba, Japan, studied the movement in a racetrack about 2.2 meters wide. High-speed cameras recorded the snakes from multiple angles after researchers gently tapped them to trigger their escape response.
The maneuver unfolds in three stages. The snakes first curve their bodies into a C shape, placing their heads over their tails and pointing toward the direction of travel. They then lunge forward, tuck their heads down and lift their bodies in a motion resembling a front flip. As each rotation ends, the tail strikes the ground and propels the snake upward, preparing it for another turn.
Kojima described the behavior, reported in Current Biology, as a striking example of what snakes can achieve with their limbless bodies.
Sources: The New York Times Science.