Scientists Discovered a Snake That Cartwheels Away From Danger, and It's Hilarious
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Researchers used high-speed cameras to reveal how a tiny Southeast Asian snake rolls away from danger at speeds far faster than slithering.
How can you not love an animal that does things a little differently? Like the dwarf reed snake, which doesn't slither away from danger as quickly as every other snake. One day it developed the audacity to be different.
To flee the scene with some panache, with a little style, perhaps even a bit of goofiness that will probably make you laugh the second you see it in motion, because you see the dwarf reed snake choose to tumble like an Old West tumbleweed away from danger.
Knowing what it does and how goofy it looks still doesn't prepare you for how ridiculous it looks when a snake rolls around like a runaway wagon wheel.
According to a study published in Current Biology, researchers at Japan's Toho University used high-speed cameras to break down how this under-a-foot-long Southeast Asian snake achieves its ridiculous escape. Snakes have a whole loadout of traditional escape methods. That's why some of them bite and are venomous; that's why others rattle their tails.
The dwarf reed snake starts cartwheeling away like an idiot at nearly a foot per second, which turns out to be a rather efficient method of escape since it's about four times faster than a standard snake's ground-slithering escape
The snake pulls it off by whipping its tail left into the right side of its body while the flailing points at the ground, essentially pushing itself forward. By rotating its midsection in big alternating loops while keeping its head steady, the snake essentially turns itself into a wheel without an axle.
All its sensory organs stay upright and focused on the path ahead as it barrels away at high speeds, vaguely reminiscent of an F1 car's tire careening down the track after a crash. But the tire is alive, and it eats earthworms.
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Pretty innovative snake. If I see this I’m running the other way.
... oh, fuck no ...
regular size or foot long?
Lol, neat. Just proves evolution is endlessly inventive
Who knew you could do gymnastics with no arms or legs?
Morning...wweellll
There is not much fun in that..
Where is the excitement of when a Eastern Brown slithers over your foot??.
Only wuzzy snakes rolls..ours like to fight...😁
Not my photo I would be long gone..
bloody hell. I watched a video of those in attack mode. it gave me flashbacks of a high school friend's boa that would become very aggressive when he didn't get fed when he was hungry. it had a terrarium, but it was allowed free reign of the basement. I'm not a fan of snakes ...
Morning...yes run into and Eastern Brown and it is not going to be a good outcome..they are extremely cranky and venomous not a good combination...get bitten and you are cactus within minutes..
My brother went for a walk y'day and came across a Tiger snake down the lagoon..so rang his wife as her twin sister is out here from Italy to bring her down..it was happy snaps all round..
Tigers when they get cranky they flattened their heads out like a cobra and attack.. that's when you know you are in deep do do..
As you can see Tigers are very well camoflauged..
I know how fast those little fuckers can slither. I used to have to relearn that lesson every summer as a telecommunications worker. newer neighborhoods where I live are built with the utilities underground. phone and cable connections are every 4 backyards in a ped (connection box). sometimes snakes can get access under those peds and they become cozy little homes.
if it looks like the bottom of that ped isn't firmly in the dirt, it's a good idea to kick it once or twice before taking the lid off, unless you'd enjoy creatures suddenly moving across your arms and/or legs in a frantic escape. it happened enough times that I can assure you that it's not a pleasant experience. the last time I got to watch the home owner deal with a viper that was escaping the ped that I just had my hand in, and due to it's size, I can't understand how I didn't see it when I was sitting on the ground in front of the ped making the connection. damn thing could have bitten either my hand or face ...
That video made me laugh
I'm not a fan of snakes but I respect their right to exist. Especially king snakes. They eat venomous snakes but are not venomous themselves
Morning...I respect all snakes both harmless and venomous..
The only time I will kill them is when they are in my backyard or around houses...yes there are snake catchers you can call but the nearest one here is an hour away...
Otherwise I leave them alone especially out in the bush which is their territory and they are entitled to live in peace..
I think the vast majority of people have been educated here now to leave them alone and do..plus all Australian snakes are protected...
The old mentality of the only good snake is a dead snake, is long gone as it should be..
Most people here in Arkansas know that all snakes are protected by if a cotton mouth, rattler, or copperhead is coming after my granddaughter that snake is DEAD!
Scientists Discovered a Snake That Cartwheels Away From Danger
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