It’s a bird, it’s a plane . . . OMG, it’s a snake!
December 24, 2011, 2:31 pm
Bitten By the “Flying” Tree Snake, Chrysopelea Paradisi. Tan TL et al. J Emerg Med 2011 Dec 9 [Epub ahead of print]
The Paradise Tree Snake, AKA Paradise Flying Snake (Chrysopelea paradisi), — found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia — has the remarkable ability to glide from tree to tree by launching itself from a high branch, then spreading its ribs to flatten the body and make its ventral surface concave. (See video above.) The snake seems to control its flight by keeping its head stable and moving the body in an undulating fashion. By this method, C. paradisi is said to be able to remain airborne for the length of a football field.
The venom of C.paradisi appears to be mild, capable of paralyzing only small prey. This case report — from Malaysia — describes a 16-year-old male who was bitten on the left index finger by a snake later identified as C. paradisi. He developed moderate pain at the bite site andmild elevation of creatine kinase, but no evidence of other significant local or systemic toxicity. Treatment included gentle wound irrigation irrigation, administration of tetanus toxoid, and antibiotics.
The authors note that despite this case report, it is possible that some bites from C. paradisi may produce more severe toxicity. Any snake can inflict a “dry bite”, and since this specimen appears to have swallowed prey shortly before the bite incident, it may have depleted its normal supply of toxin.
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