♫
Hello and welcome back to the Lair of Legless Legends
I'm Scarlett Nightshade, and today we're going to be talking about the Paradise Flying Snake
Chrysopelea paradisi, or the Paradise Flying Snake,
is a slim-bodied, mildy venomous, rear-fanged Colubrid snake
that is best known for its ability to glide from tree to tree
Their ability to glide is possible through an interesting phenomenon
known as "aerobatic undulation"
in which they flatten out their ribs and "wriggle" in the air, allowing them to glide
Paradise Flying Snakes are characterized by their
bright yellow bellies and black-and-green speckled dorsal scales
often in contrast with a vibrant orange, yellow and red pattern along the vertebral scales
in many specimens
While not commonly kept in captivity,
more herpetoculturists are becoming successful in keeping them as we
learn more about this fascinating species
That said, almost all of the Paradise Flying Snakes
that are currently available are wild caught imports
if you have never kept a wild caught import,
or if you are not aware of the challenges in keeping them,
I would suggest checking out my most recent video on
why Dragon Snakes are difficult to keep in captivity
While the information in that video is focused on Dragon Snakes,
much of it can also be generally applied to all wild caught imports
Comparatively however, Paradise Flying Snakes are
a bit easier to keep than many other wild caught species
Firstly, it should be known that Paradise Flying Snakes have
a diet consisting primarily of lizards
Although the occasional frog, rodent or bird is also a part of their natural diet
My Paradise Flying Snakes are fed a diet of anoles,
House Geckos, button quail, various species of tree frogs, and occasionally small mice
They are typically very enthusiastic eaters,
and interestingly, unlike most snakes equipped with venom,
they also constrict while envenomating their prey
Though there is little need to worry about the venom's effect on humans,
I always encourage fellow keepers to exercise caution when handling rear-fanged venomous snakes
Even if their venom is declared medically insignificant
Regarding the enclosure for the Paradise Flying Snake,
while they require plenty of vertical space, it is also important to provide
horizontal space so that they may properly thermoregulate
Flying Snakes are a very active, diurnal species
and will utilize every bit of space offered to them
Since they are arboreal in nature and average about 4 foot in length,
an adult enclosure should be at least 36 inches tall,
but bigger is always better
With the more ideal housing option being
a 60 x 48 x 24 inch custom PVC enclosure
being that they are from Southeast Asia,
this species does have high humidity requirements
Which means the material your enclosure is constructed from
will play a major role in how easy it is for you to maintain proper husbandry
I strongly suggest avoiding glass enclosures,
as they will quickly evaporate any moisture within the environment
Therefore, opting for a material such as PVC to house this species in is your best choice
They will appreciate floor space,
given there are enough hides for them to take shelter in at night
I prefer to achieve this by orienting various pieces of driftwood and logs together
so that they form a large dome underneath
caves or more traditional hides can also be used as long as
they provide adequate cover
You enclosure should also be very secure
Paradise Flying Snakes are incredibly fast
and due to their slim bodies and prying curiosity,
a strong and reliable locking enclosure is crucial in order to contain them
As previously mentioned, Flying Snakes are native to Southeast Asia
and have high humidity requirements
This means that their substrate should be able to retain plenty of moisture
I prefer to use a 50/50 blend of sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite
You may also want to consider adding a drainage layer
using appropriate media such as BioDrain
to help keep the moisture more evenly distributed throughout the substrate and allow for more ventilation
Since Paradise Flying Snakes have fast metabolisms,
you can expect to spot clean about 1-3 times weekly
Keepers that use wooden elements such as bark or driftwood
may want to invest in course-grit sandpaper
as this species tend to leave their excrement in their favorite climbing spots
in which you can clean by sanding it off
As an arboreal species, Paradise Flying Snakes
will not benefit from undertank heating elements such as heat mats
Therefore, an overhead heat source is necessary to provide them with the heat they require
They also enjoy basking,
often taking up the opportunity to do so at least 5-6 days a week
Thus, a UVB + UVA basking bulb
is recommended for use during the daylight hours
As with all heat sources, a thermostat is necessary to keep the heat output stable
For basking bulbs, a dimming proportional thermostat is the best option
Set your thermostat to 90°F (30°C)
and fix your probe to a safe and secure position near the tallest basking point
using an infrared thermometer gun,
you can dial in the correct temperature as needed
Another important aspect of keeping Paradise Flying Snakes is enrichment
While I encourage enrichment for all species of snake,
I especially encourage it for Flying Snakes
Methods of enrichment include plenty of space to climb,
as well as many perches and platforms to climb on to
Grapevines, bendable branches,
driftwood, and PVC pipes work well in providing the proper climbing enrichment
and remember to include an appropriate basking light for them to utilize, as well
I also highly recommend including an elevated water source for them to drink from
You can use small glass pots used for plants
that are fixed to the enclosure with suction cups
I will include the link to these in the description
While a ground-level water dish can also be provided,
Flying Snakes typically prefer to drink from an elevated water source instead
As with most wild caught imports, it is important to limit handling as much as possible
Paradise Flying Snakes are usually not very handlable,
and will often bite and musk in attempt to quickly escape your grasp
They are also very flighty, and in one wrong move
they can be gone within the blink of an eye
As for sexing Flying Snakes, standard methods of sexing are not advised
Since this species is a very delicate, slim-bodied snake,
it is best to have them sexed through DNA testing
The sex determination test can be performed through a specialized lab such as Rare Genetics, Inc.
in which you simply send in a shed to be tested
Results are typically received within a few business days
and will accurately confirm the sex of the snake without having to use more invasive methods of sex determination
In summary, Paradise Flying Snakes are a fascinating species
renowned for their ability to glide from the tree tops they inhabit
While not the easiest species to keep, they will thrive under the correct care
and are slowly becoming more established in captivity
Their vibrant coloration, inquisitive nature and interesting behaviors
make them a very rewarding species to keep
and we hope to enjoy these remarkable tree gliders for many more years to come
If you would like to see more rare, beautiful species of snakes,
hit the "subscribe" button and be sure to hit that bell icon
Thank you for slithering by, and I hope to see you again in the Lair of Legless Legends!
♫