Chrysopelea ornata

Red-spotted form of Chrysopelea ornata from North Bengal, India

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.[2]

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

Chrysopelea ornata.The snake's striking looks and capability of gliding make it a popular choice for captivity.

This snake ranges from 11.5 to 130 cm (0.38 to 4.27 ft) long.[5] Maturity is reached at about 1 m (3.3 ft) in length.[5] The tail is about one-fourth of the total length.[2]

Chrysopelea ornata has two major colour forms, and their descriptions are given below:[2]

• In Sri Lanka and the southern extent of its Indian range, the snake is primarily greenish yellow or pale green. Each scale has a black mesial streak or spot, and is more or less edged with black. The snake also has dark crossbars at intervals. A series of large, flower-shaped, reddish or orange vertebral spots may be present or absent. Ventrals greenish, outside the keel edged with black or spotted. Head black with yellow crossbars and spots. The flower-shaped spots are more common in Sri Lanka than in south India.
• The second color variety which is more common in Southeast Asia lacks the reddish vertebral spots, and has less prominent black crossbars. But all varieties can be found throughout its distribution area.

This species is considered mildly venomous, as it is rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous). This is an adaptive feature present in many genera of snakes, such as the hognose and mangrove snakes (among others), in which two small fangs are situated closer to the rear of the mouth (on the upper jaw), as opposed to frontal-fanged (solenoglyphous) venomous snakes, which possess retractable, long, sharp fangs at the front of the mouth (which deliver quick and lethal doses of venom). Opisthoglyphy is typically indicative of an animal that consumes reptiles and/or amphibians, as it is thought that the placement of the teeth in the back of the mouth aids the snake in wrangling and controlling wriggly, slippery lizards, frogs, toads, etc. In order for the venom to be administered and the prey subdued, it must first be “chewed” into the prey, as the rear fangs are not placed immediately at the front of the mouth; by comparison, vipers and elapids (which are frontal-fanged) generally prefer avian, rodent or other mammalian prey, which they bite once before retreating, waiting for envenomation to kill the animal before consuming. The ease with which frontal-fanged snakes can deliver their deadly venom makes them medically significant and dangerous to humans and other animals; rear-fanged snakes, including the Chrysopelea species, are therefore not considered so dangerous to humans as to be of medical importance.[6]

Head of C. ornata with brilliantly coloured tongue exposed

• English - golden tree snake,[2][3][4] gliding snake,[2] ornate flying snake, golden flying snake, gold and black tree snake,[5] flying tree snake[7]
• Hindi - kala jin.[2]
• Sinhala - pol-mal-karawala, malsara.[2]
• German - Gelbgrüne Schmuckbaumnatter, Gewöhnliche Schmuckbaumnatter.[8]
• Bengali - কালনাগিনী (Kaalnagini), উড়ন্ত সাপ, উড়াল মহারাজ সাপ, সুন্দরী সাপ, কালসাপ, কালনাগ
• Konkani - Naneto
• Nepali Name - Seerise
• Thai Name: งูเขียวดอกหมาก (Ngoo kee-ow dork maak)
• Khmer Name: ពស់តុកកែ (Pous Tok Kae)
• Malayalam: nagathan pambu(നാഗത്താൻ പാമ്പ് )

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[2] eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh.[8] It is also found in the forests of the Andaman islands.[2]

Not known to be endangered.[7]

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.[9]

C. ornata is diurnal and arboreal. The snake's gliding ability, while not as impressive as that of the paradise flying snake (C. paradisi), still makes it capable of moving from tree to tree with relative ease. These snakes are excellent climbers, being able move across even the smallest of branches and even straight up trees with few branches by using the edges of rough bark. They are frequently seen moving up a coconut palm, or up vertical rock faces in graceful curves, gripping the somewhat uneven surfaces with their scales. They tend to be nervous, fast-moving snakes, and attempt to flee if disturbed, but generally do not hesitate to bite if handled. They are mildly venomous, but the venom is not considered to be dangerous to humans.[5] It is intended to assist in subduing fast-moving, arboreal prey. C. ornata takes small arboreal prey, such as lizards, bats, and small rodents.[10] It might also feed on bird eggs and insects. Also, it is reported to take snakes occasionally, and to avoid frogs, though frogs are also reported being eaten. The snake stalks or pursues the prey and seizes it by the neck, which is crushed in its strong jaws.[5]

C. ornata climbing up prior to launching itself into the air

Breeding habits are little known. The snake is oviparous[8] and six to 12 elongated eggs[2] are laid. Gravid females have been in May and June and hatchlings in June. In Bangkok, according to Smith, mating takes place in June. Hatchlings measure 114–152 mm (41⁄2 to 6 in) long, while the smallest gravid female recorded was 1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in) long.[2]

In recent years, ornate flying snakes have become increasingly available in the exotic pet trade; many are exported from Vietnam and neighboring countries. Instances of captive breeding are virtually unknown. Due to the species' nervous temperament and difficulty to adjusting to captivity, they tend to make poor captives for all but the most experienced reptile keepers. Many imported specimens have heavy parasite loads, and the stress of captivity all too often leads to a quick death.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chrysopelea ornata.

• Flying Snake Home Page.
• C. ornata at Thailand Snakes.