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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
 Posted - 03/31/2006 : 04:36:32
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I was browsing the Seed Magazine website, getting me some new science MP3s for the car, when I stumbled across a feature in the photography section by Jake Socha on flying snakes. I'm pretty sure we don't have flying snakes in Australia (although we do have the most venomous snake there is, and a few more in the top 10 I believe), so I thought these were pretty cool.
I would never have guessed that evolution would favour a snake who thought it wise to jump out of a tree, but it would seem that, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I am mistaken. 
Chrysopelea pelias mid-glide, photo by Jake Socha/Chris Sidor.
Click the pic for the page this image came from.
The original seed article I found is here.
Jake Socha's homepage is here.
I know you're something of a herpetologist Filthy, have you ever met one of these lovely critters?
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John's just this guy, you know. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 03/31/2006 : 06:08:48 [Permalink]
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Interesting, John.
Actually, this is very common behavior in many if not most small, arboreal animals. When threatened, they will jump, flatten themselves out, spreading their mass over as large an area as possible, and hit the ground with an audible and rather horrid smack!
Some species are more prone to these high dives than others, and have evolved compensations for it. Sugar gliders, flying squirrels, and the flying dragon Draco volons, for example, and these actually use it to get to a more desirable tree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_dragon This is an incomplete article. If I had some decent, original photos, I'd finish it.
I have observed this behavior in lizards such as swifts and iguanas, and Puerto Rican geckos, as well as snakes, grey and red squirrels, and even house cats.
It is not beyond the realm of reason to speculate that birds evolved from small, feathered theropod dinosaurs in just this manner.
Oz does indeed have the highest percentage of venomous snakes in it's serpent population, out-numbering the non-venomous, and many of them are real doozies. All of these are Elapids, the only continent that can make that claim. I would love to visit for no more reason than that.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2006 : 10:42:50 [Permalink]
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And soon to be a major motion picture.
Here's an NPR story about this anticipated film.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2006 : 16:45:57 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
And soon to be a major motion picture.
Here's an NPR story about this anticipated film.
Interesting. I'm generally a fan of Samuel L's work, but I'm not so sure about the ability of this plot to keep a movie entertaining for a full 90 minutes or thereabouts. Some of the comments in the IMDB message boards were quite amusing.
quote:
Originally posted by Filthy
I have observed this behavior in lizards such as swifts and iguanas, and Puerto Rican geckos, as well as snakes, grey and red squirrels, and even house cats.
A long time ago, we had a cat that would climb into the outer limbs of a wattle tree in the front yard. It would hover above people as they walked by underneath and take swipes, girls with long hair were her favourite targets.
I don't imagine the snakes would leap from trees in order to catch prey, but I can imagine it would be rather terrifying to be near the landing site regardless.
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John's just this guy, you know. |
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Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2006 : 20:14:54 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
...It is not beyond the realm of reason to speculate that birds evolved from small, feathered theropod dinosaurs in just this manner...
One of my favorite animal names is Archaeopteryx!*
*"Ar-key-op-tricks" |
Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
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