Paradise Flying Snake
Chrysopelea paradisi
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusChrysopelea (Flying Snakes)
- SpeciesChrysopelea paradisi (Paradise Flying Snake)
About the Paradise Flying Snake
Paradise tree snake, paradise flying snake or garden flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia. It can, like all species of its genus Chrysopelea, glide by stretching the body into a flattened strip using its ribs. It is mostly found in moist forests and can cover a horizontal distance of 10 meters (33 feet) or more in a glide from the top of a tree. Slow motion photography shows an undulation of the snake's body in flight while the head remains relatively stable, suggesting controlled flight. They are mildly venomous with rear fangs and also can constrict their prey, which consists of mostly lizards and bats.
The species name paradisi comes from either the Latin "paradisus" or Greek "paradeisos", which means park. It is assumed that the holotype from 1826 was found in a park. Chrysopelea paradisi 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: It is found in Thailand, Indonesia... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Sepilok
Gray Bronzeback
Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
Red-tailed Green Ratsnake
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
Brown Whip Snake
Dryophiops rubescens
Gold-ringed Cat Snake
Boiga dendrophila
Brown Rat Snake
Ptyas fusca
Blue-necked Keelback
Rhabdophis rhodomelas
(Eight-) Striped Kukri Snake
Oligodon octolineatus
Oriental Whipsnake
Ahaetulla prasina
Dog-toothed Cat Snake
Boiga cynodon
Samarinda Reed Snake
Calamaria hilleniusi
Orange-bellied Snake
Gongylosoma baliodeira
Black Copper Rat Snake
Coelognathus flavolineatus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 10 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Paradise Flying Snake in Sepilok?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Paradise Flying Snake sighting in Sepilok, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Paradise Flying Snake in Sepilok?
December has the highest sighting rate for Paradise Flying Snake in Sepilok in our monthly data.