How Flying Snakes Glide through the air

Flying snakes glide through the air, flattening their bodies to provide lift.

But as they glide they seem to swim, undulating their bodies from side to side.

Now a team in the United States has used motion capture technology to study snake gliding in precise detail. Their models reveal that undulation is vital for the snake’s stability as they glide from branch to branch.

 

[nature video]