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Sri Lanka's wildlife encyclopedia

මල්සරා

පොල්මල් කරවලා பறக்கும் பாம்பு

Chrysopelea ornata

Least concern

මල්සරා
LA Dawson · CC BY-SA 2.5

Overview

Chrysopelea ornata is a species of mildly venomous opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) colubrid snake found in both South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is commonly known as the golden tree snake, ornate flying snake, and golden flying snake. Along with the other species in the genus Chrysopelea, the golden tree snake is unusual, as it is capable of a type of gliding "flight" — mainly utilised during the pursuit of prey animals — from tree-to-tree. This action is also used to great effect for the snake to flee its own potential predators. Currently, three subspecies are recognised. The snake's striking looks, and potential for gliding, have made it a coveted choice for captivity.

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Sources

  1. Wikipedia (EN): Chrysopelea ornata — CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikipedia (SI): පොල්මල් කරවලා — CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. Wikipedia (TA): பறக்கும் பாம்பு — CC BY-SA 4.0