Chrysopelea+paradisi

toc Commonly known as the Paradise Tree Snake, these snakes are sometimes also called the Paradise Gliding Snake, Paradise Flying Snake, or the Garden Flying Snake. These names hints at their special arboreal tendencies, and it is indeed just one of the two species of snakes in Singapore that have the ability to glide! As one of the smaller gliding snakes (not fly though, more on this later) from its genus //Chrysopelea,// this native species is perhaps the best gliding snake in the world! Find out more about these fascinating residents of Singapore! =A. Species Description = The Paradise Tree Snake is a slender snake reaching 1m to 1.3m in length, with males typically smaller than females. Its relatively flat head is marked by five yellow or orange bands, while the cylindrical body is black with yellow-green spots on each dorsal scale. The underside of the snake is yellowish green. The keeled body scales (having a ridge down the scale as opposed to being smooth) helps make it an adept climber. However, there are also some individuals with red flower pattern (clusters of 4 to 5 spots) along the middle of the back. Little is known about why both color morphs exist, but both color morphs can be found in Singapore. (Used with permission). || There are three currently recognized subspecies, with //Chrysopelea paradisi // //paradisi // found in Singapore being the most common subspecies that spreads across its range, while //Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis // is endemic to Sulawesi, and //Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis // is endemic to the Phillippines.  This page refers to the subspecies //Chrysopelea paradisi // //paradisi // that is in Singapore, unless otherwise stated.
 * [[image:PTS name 3.png width="648" height="185"]] ||
 * [[image:PTS gif fly.gif width="655" height="457"]] ||
 * //An individual// atop Jelutong Tower in Singapore's Central Catchment Nature Reserve. ||
 * [[image:PTS2.png width="640" height="223"]] ||
 * The head of the Paradise Tree Snake is distinct from its cylindrical body. ||
 * [[image:PTS 3 scale.png width="373" height="238"]] || [[image:PTS4 underside.png width="454" height="238"]] ||
 * Coloured spots evident on each dorsal scale. || Underside of the snake with parallel lines across. ||
 * [[image:PTS red.jpg width="394" height="221"]] ||
 * An individual with red coloration. Copyright 2010 ThailandSnakes.com

**Other confusing species?** In Singapore, there are some snakes that may be confused with the Paradise Tree Snake at first glance. The table below shows how they can be distinguished. To identify more snakes, there is a free "Snakes of Singapore" mobile application that offers pictures and useful identification tools (more details in the "Snake Encounters & Safety" section). (Permission pending) || Female Wagler’s Pit Viper. Image by Ron Yeo. (Permission pending) || Golden Tree Snake. Image Copyright 2010 ThailandSnakes.com (Used with permission). || 2 sightings have been recorded, perhaps from the pet trade. They can distinguished by looking at the __scales along the__ __body__, with <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;">a thin black line down the middle of each scale's yellow or green spot, while the Paradise Tree Snake has simple dark scales with a light yellow or green spot in the middle. || = B. Ecology & Conservation Status = according to GBIF georeferenced data and IUCN location description. Base Map of Southeast Asia adapted from: Sankakukei (free map). || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> This species usually occurs in primary and secondary tropical rainforest of elevation below 1500m. However, past records indicate their occurrence in human-modified habitats as well. Such areas include coconut plantations next to forests, tree-shaded gardens, rural villages, and attics of old houses. They are found in many parts of Southeast Asia, extending southwards of southern Myanmar and southern Thailand, all the way to Sulawesi and Philippines. Countries where they are native to are Brunei Darussalam; India (Andaman Islands); Indonesia (Bali, Jawa, Kalimantan, Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak); Myanmar; Philippines; Thailand and Singapore.
 * [[image:taxo4254/PTS C.pelias.jpg width="319" height="276"]] || [[image:taxo4254/PTS wagler's pit viper.jpg width="318" height="275"]] || [[image:PTS ornata scales2.jpg width="379" height="279"]] ||
 * Twin-barred Gliding Snake. Image by Ron Yeo.
 * The only other native gliding snake, they can be distinguished by the __body coloration__ which are predominantly red with black and white bands. || The females of this species have similarly colored bodies, but can be distinguished by the more __triangular shape of the head__ and arrangement of the __yellow spots__ along the body. || This closely related species is not native to Singapore but at least
 * [[image:taxo4254/PTS map.png width="587" height="434"]] ||
 * Species distribution, whith the three subspecies represented being ** //C. p. paradisi// (green) **,
 * //C. p. celebensis// (yellow) ** and ** //C. p. variabilis// (blue) **. Map illustrated by: Lim Jia Ying, approximated
 * Where do they inhabit? **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Where can they be found in Singapore? ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Paradise Tree Snakes are fairly common and can exist in forest, scrubland, mangroves and urban gardens. They are known to be found at Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Ubin, Rifle Range Road, and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. They are sometimes also found in urban areas close to their natural habitat. When in the natural habitat, snakes can be hiding under rocks or fallen trees, basking in the sun, or atop plants and trees.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Conservation Status & Threats ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Internationally ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As of 2014, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classified the Paradise Tree Snake <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">to be a species of ‘Least Concern’, because of its wide distribution, stable population, existence within several protected areas, and its tolerance to some habitat changes. It is caught for the international pet trade on a small scale, although Thailand imposes an export ban on live snakes. Globally, this species faces no significant threat, but extensive deforestation may present localized risks for areas like Cebu in Philippines.
 * [[image:PTS IUCN.JPG width="879" height="136"]] ||
 * Screen capture of IUCN classification of //Chrysopelea paradisi (//Paradise Tree Snake). ||

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** In Singapore ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> In highly urbanized Singapore, there has been several cases of Paradise Tree Snake entering buildings and indoor spaces like the basement of Outram Park MRT, as well as Nanyang Technological University's Hall of Residence 15 In some unfortunate cases, the Paradise Tree Snakes became victims of abuse and roadkills. Such threats are avoidable, requiring citizens to be thoughtful and aware of appropriate measures to take upon snake encounters. If snakes are found in urban environments and need to be relocated back to their natural habitat, it is advised to contact experts from ACRES for help, or you may refer to AVA's advisory for more details. Please extend your kindness to all wildlife, Singapore is home to them, as much as it is for us human beings. Image by Rachel Lee (2016). (Used with permission) || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Ecological role ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> As a predator of small animals, Paradise Tree Snakes are secondary or tertiary consumers in the food chain, and thus serve to maintain the prey populations. In turn, the Paradise Tree Snake may be preyed on by larger birds of prey, mammals and even larger snakes, especially since its mild venom is unlikely to forestall their much bigger predators. Little else is known about the ecological role.
 * [[image:taxo4254/PTS roadkill.JPG width="400" height="243"]] ||
 * A badly injured victim of roadkill seen at Punggol End.

= C. Behaviour =

Gliding behaviour
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Paradise Tree Snakes <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">are AMAZING GLIDERS! But wait, __gliding__ is not the same as __flying__? <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> aerodynamic work. || “flying squirrels”and “flying fishes” (//Exocoetus)//. || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Most flying and gliding vertebrates have evolved “wings” from limbs or ribs, possessing appendages or skin flaps. So what does a cylindrical limbless snake do to glide successfully? It is indeed surprising that this typical looking snake can be a great glider, going as far as 21m horizontally! How does the Paradise Tree Snake <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">do it? And why do they need such gliding prowess? Perhaps the means to escape predators might be a selective force in the evolution of flight? The ‘why’ remains a mystery, but locomotor trials of the Paradise Tree Snakes <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">have now revealed four stages that are characteristic of how they glide successfully. Let's break it down for you...
 * **Flying** || **Gliding** ||
 * Locomotor behaviour in air that requires active control of aerodynamic forces. || Controlled descent by organisms that harness gravitational potential energy to do useful
 * Flight is common to most birds, winged insects, and bats. || Gliding vertebrates include some arboreal frogs (//Rhacophorus)//, “flying dragons” (//Draco)//,

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Stage 1: Takeoff ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> After climbing a tree of suitable height (average observed height of 9m), the snake would jump, dive, or fall from a branch. Oftentimes, they would engage in a J-loop jumping takeoff before their dive. Initially, the forebody of the snake dangles in a J-shape while the posterior (back-half) body loops around the branch to maintain grip. Then it arcs its forebody up and forward, and upon releasing its grip, becomes airborne with peak glide angle of 60 degrees! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Stage 2: Flattening of body ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The snake rapidly changes shape from a round to a flattened triangular cross-section while in the air, making it aerodynamically favourable for gliding. The snake’s width at mid-body easily becomes twice the usual width when at rest! The flattening of the body involves movement of the ribs, and ultimately forms a concave shape at the cross section. adapted from: [|Krishnan et al. (2014)], under CC BY 4.0 license. || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Stage 3: Aerial undulation ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> While in the air, the snakes moves its head from side to side while the posterior body moves up and down, thereby creating waves that appear as curves along its body. During this period, the glide becomes less steep. They may also execute turns in mid-air, a feat that has not been observed in other gliding snakes!
 * [[image:PTS glide trajectory.png width="720" height="356"]] ||
 * Illustration of a typical glide trajectory. Image from [|Krishnan et al. (2014)], under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 License. ||
 * [[image:PTS concave.png width="720" height="186"]] ||
 * Image of snake’s body cross section (coloration added to distinguish ribs [orange] and underside of the body [yellow])

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Stage 4: Landing ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Just before landing, the snake orientates the tail downward, allowing the tail to hit the ground first. The head is the last to contact the ground, minimizing the impact forces on it. If landing on a branch, a wrapping motion around the branch is induced upon contact. In field observations, they cover about 10m horizontally, when jumping from a height of about 9m.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Now check out these videos to watch the snakes execute their amazing glides!
 * media type="youtube" key="GtlpfTwzziY" width="560" height="315" || media type="youtube" key="HMs8Cu8PNKM" width="560" height="315" ||
 * Video documenting the flight of an individual in slow-motion. || Video of Locomotor trials conducted in Singapore, demonstrating the behaviours of the snakes. ||

Feeding behaviour
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Snakes are carnivorous, and the Paradise Tree Snake<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> is no exception. They prefer eating tree-dwelling lizards but may opportunistically feed on rodents, small birds and bats. While some of their prey may be larger than its body size, these snakes are equipped with rear fangs, allowing them deliver venom into their prey. Fangs are specialized teeth with venom gland, and are on the upper jaws of snakes. Their rear fangs are positioned towards the back of the upper jaws, as opposed to some other cobras and vipers that have front fangs positioned near the front of their upper jaws. Because of the backward position of their fangs, Paradise Tree Snake <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">have to bite their prey and grind the venom into the prey’s wound through the grooves on their fangs, making ‘chewing motions’ as it does so. this position, the snake employs constriction to hold the prey in place, while its mild venom takes effect. ||
 * [[image:PTS feeding.png width="566" height="351"]] ||
 * Screengrab from a video by Chan Boon Hong (2016), showing an individual ingesting a lizard. In

Reproductive behaviour
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Snakes are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs, of clutch size between five and eight. While not much is known about their reproduction habits, the eggs produced in Thailand usually hatch in May and June <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, and hatchlings are approximately 15-20cm, with similar pattern and brighter coloration. A rare courtship behaviour between a female and three males was documented, featuring elongate courtship configuration. In that multi-male courtship, the males lured by the female’s pheromone trail were clustered around her body and followed her pace as she moved slowly through the habitat. blue, and orange). As seen by the position of bodies and tails along the branch, the courtship involves significant overlap of all participants. Image from [|Kaiser (2016)], under CC BY 4.0 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Such an elongate configuration is likely to be advantageous as it allows movement within a diverse habitat and lower risk of predatory attack as opposed to mating balls on the ground or in a tree.
 * [[image:PTS courtship.png width="728" height="362"]] ||
 * The female (illustrated in dark grey on the right diagram) in the lead, followed closely by the three males (illustrated in green,

= D. Snake encounters & Safety = <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> If you're lucky enough to spot these amazing creatures, but are concerned for the safety of yourself and people around you, here are some things to consider. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">The position of their rear fangs requires them to have a good grasp of the pry in their (small) mouth for a considerable duration, so it is unlikely that humans would be intentionally bitten by them or have venom injected. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Nevertheless, __do not go too close or provoke them!__ ||
 * [[image:PTS danger own1.JPG width="121" height="107"]] || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">They are **<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">mildly venomous **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> snake meaning they can only paralyze small prey but are ** largely harmless to humans **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">. Note that snakes can be venomous (they inject toxic substances into prey by biting or stinging), but not poisonous (toxic when consumed or touched)!
 * [[image:PTS aid own.JPG width="121" height="116"]] || ** The typical diagnostic features ** <span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> of Paradise Tree Snake<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">s' bite are mild to moderate pain, some local bruising, numbness, bleeding, but no necrosis of systemic effects. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">A **<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">recorded case of a bite **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> on a young man's index finger was a source of 'moderate pain' but the bite had mild local effect. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> The bite occured when he moved it using a broomstick, provoking the snake to bite his finger. At the hospital, he was administered <span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> gentle wound irrigation, intramuscular anti-tetanus toxoid injection, oral diclofenac sodium as analgesia, intravenous cloxacillin 1 gm stat, and oral cloxacillin upon discharge. The pain was well-controlled and the wound recovered well. ||

Bitten by unidentified snake?
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Here's what you should do if so! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> 1. Move away from the snake to prevent being attacked again. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> 2. Keep still with the bitten limb positioned below the heart to reduce the flow of venom. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> 3. Try to identify the snake, to check if it is highly venomous or not. A free downloadable mobile application "Snakes of Singapore" offers identification tools to do so easily. Mobile Application, developed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. || Snake Identification tools, based on physical descriptions. || List of **highly venomous** snakes, these <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4a. If the snake is highly venomous, Get to the hospital quickly but taking care to prevent muscle contractions of the bitten limb, and take note of any symptoms that arise. DO NOT attempt first-aid measures like wiping the wound with damp cloth, in/excision, amputation, suction by mouth. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4b. If the snake is not highly venomous, treat as a [|puncture wound]. However, s <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">eek medical attention if local symptoms develop, as that may be indicative of secondary infection. This applies to bites by the mildly venomous Paradise Tree Snake. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> 5a. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What to expect at the hospital: the wound may be inspected for active bleeding, swelling, and intensity of pain. Gentle irrigation and pain relief may be helpful. Monitoring of vital signs are also essential. Anti-venom may be administered if the situation is life threatening.
 * [[image:PTS app1.jpg width="256" height="415"]] || [[image:PTS app2.jpg width="254" height="413"]] || [[image:PTS app3.jpg width="242" height="411"]] ||
 * Screen capture of the "Snakes of Singapore"
 * require swift medical attention**! ||

Are you field-ready?
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Now that you’ve got some idea of this species, do you think you are field-ready? What would you do if you find yourself in such a scenario?


 * [[image:PTS fieldready.png width="169" height="171" align="left"]] || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1) You see a snake that wrapped itself around a branch just adjacent to the forest boardwalk. What physical characteristics would you look out for to confirm if it is the Paradise Tree Snake?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2) You see a snake gliding from approximately 10m horizontally and 20m above you, is possible for you to be in the trajectory of Paradise Tree Snake<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">//’s// glide?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">3) You meet a child with a wound from a snake bite on her palm. The child’s account of the snake seems to fit the Paradise Tree Snake<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. As the only adult present, what would you do? ||
 * [[image:PTS check ans.png width="171" height="171"]]

Highlight text on the right to reveal answers! || 1) What are the colours on the body- black body with greenish-yellow to reddish-orange spots, yellow underparts. Some of the spots on the head are arranged as horizontal bands. What is the size of the snake- body cross section slightly thicker than a normal pen, about 1m to 1.3m long.

2) Field observations show an average horizontal gliding distance of 10m from launch height of 9m. However, in the experiments done by Jake Socha (watch video above), snakes released at a height of 10m were recorded to glide for up to 21m. So be on high alert, the snake might come really close to you!

3) Calm the child down, keep his/her hand below his/her heart with minimal movement. Show the child a photograph of the snake to confirm if the snake was the Paradise Tree Snake. If certain, reassure the child and treat the wound like a puncture wound. This includes stopping the bleeding by adding firm direct pressure with sterile gauze or clean cloth, rinsing the wound, and wrapping with a sterile bandage to protect from dirt of further injury.  DO NOT attempt first-aid measures like wiping the wound with damp cloth, in/excision, amputation, suction by mouth.  If there are signs of infection (redness, increasing pain, swelling or pus present), seek medial attention. || =<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #e15b09; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">**E. Nomenclature and Taxonomy** =

Past Species description
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> The original description of Chrysopelea paradisi by the species authority, H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827 could not be located. The next oldest journal article found offering a species description was in 1840. Available under CC BY-NC 3.0 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Translated version in English, it reads: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Two individuals of this elegant species, which are preserved in Pavia museum, are of a dark green, almost black color, interrupted and traversed by irregular spots and transverse stripes of bright yellow color. The scales are slightly keeled, and instead of the hull have a dark speck linear, outlined in yellow. Very angular abdomen; in correspondence of each shield a black point; 17 rows of scales; 200-208 + 113-129. This species is native to Bengal, Sumatra and Java
 * [[image:PTS description.png width="484" height="228"]] ||
 * Screen capture of the species description featured in Biblioteca Italiana (1840).

Type Specimens
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Species descriptions are made based on a type specimen, often identified at the time of the species discovery. Unfortunately, for the case of //Chrysopelea paradisi,// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> the holotype was believed to be lost according to Mertens. A <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">female individual (specimen code RMNH 885) found in Southwest Indonesia, Java, described by Boie and Macklot in 1826, was hence subsequently determined to be the neotype (name-bearing type specimen chosen by a later researcher) by Mertens in 1968. The neotype is of the nominate subspecies //Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi,// the subspecies that was first described//.// Little else is know about the neotype. The other two subspecies were distinguished subsequently, with known holoytypes and paratypes of //Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis// from Celebes (Sulawesi), and of //Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis// from Philippines.

Taxonomic Classification
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;">To give a sense of the placement of the Paradise Tree Snake (//Chrysopelea paradisi)// in the larger scheme of organisms, this is the current classification it belongs to. While the ranks may not be meaningful entities on their own, it informs us about the groupings within which smaller subsets can be made to distinguish more closely related species. // C. paradisi celebensis, // // C. paradisi variabilis // ||
 * ** Rank ** || ** Taxa ** ||
 * Kingdom || Animalia ||
 * Phylum || Chordata ||
 * Subphylum || Vertebrata ||
 * Superclass || Gnathostomata ||
 * Class || Sarcopterygii ||
 * Order || Squamata ||
 * Family || Colubridae ||
 * Genus || // Chrysopelea // ||
 * Species || // Chrysopelea paradisi // ||
 * Subspecies || // C. paradisi paradisi, //

Nomenclature & Etymology
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"> (Naming of the species & the origin of the name) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090909; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Paradise Flying Snake, Garden Flying Snake. || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The //'paradisi//' epithet of the binomial name has Latin "paradisus" or Greek "paradeisos" origin, meaning "park". It is suggested that the holotype (the specimen used for new species description) was found in a park. The meaning of the '//Chrysopelea//' epithet is not ascertained, by it is associated with "flying snakes" or "gliding snakes".
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Binomial Name || //<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Chrysopelea paradisi // ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Common Names || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090909; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Paradise Tree Snake, Paradise Gliding Snake,

Synonyms
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When sourcing for information on the Paradise Tree Snake, these are some **synonyms** to consider. Having multiple synonyms poses a problem such that information of particular individuals may be filed under names that are incorrect or no longer valid. This includes the grouping of the species with // Chrysopelea ornata //in the past and the various subspecies. Taxonomic names in bold remain valid for refering to the species and subspecies. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Note: ’Partim’ means that only some specimens, not including the type specimens, are assigned under that name. They are thus not really synonyms.
 * **//Chrysopelea paradisi//**//— **BOIE 1827**// || //Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi — CHAN-ARD et al. 1999: 161// ||
 * **//Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi//**//— **BOIE 1827**// || //Chrysopelea paradisi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 168// ||
 * //Chrysopelea paradisi — H. BOIE in F. BOIE 1827// || //Chrysopelea paradise — JANIAWATI et al. 2016 (in error)// ||
 * //Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi — MERTENS 1968// || **//Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis MERTENS, 1968//** ||
 * //Chrysopelea ornata — BOIE 1827 (nec Coluber ornatus SHAW 1802)// || //Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — DE LANG & VOGEL 2005// ||
 * //Dendrophis ornata (partim) — SCHLEGEL 1837// || //Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — ISKANDAR & ERDELEN 2006// ||
 * //Leptophis ornatus var. (partim) — CANTOR 1847// || //Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — WANGER et al. 2011// ||
 * //Chrysopelea paradisi — SMITH 1943// || **//Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis MERTENS 1968//** ||
 * //Chrysopelea paradisi — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 333// || //Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis — GAULKE 2012// ||
 * //Chrysopelea paradisi — COX et al. 1998: 67// ||  ||

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> **//<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea paradisi //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> was previously incorrectly listed in synonymy with //<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea ornata //**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, until revalidation of //Chrysopelea paradisi// at species level by Smith in 1943. Smith likely deemed them to be distinct species while applying the Phylogenetic Species Concept sensu Wheeler and Platnick, as he used the presence or absence of hypapophyses on the posterior dorsal vertebrae, which correlated with geographical distribution and colour pattern, to separate the species. Reports of the Paradise Tree Snake <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">up until 1943 may thus be filed under the name of // Chrysopelea ornata, // which is a probable problem given that there was some overlap in the geographic range of these two species.

Phylogenetics
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;">Snakes (suborder Serpentes) are classified under the order Squamata, together with lizards and amphisbaenians (worm-lizards). Serpentes are a well-defined group with monophyly supported by both morphological and molecular characteristics. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"> Within Serpentes, there is the superfamily Colubroidea, the advanced snakes (sensu Lawson et al., 2005) which has one of the most extensive radiation among extant terrestrial vertebrates despite their relative recent origin in the Cenozoic. Colubroidea are sister group to Acrochordidae. Spread across all continents except Antartica, the Colubroidea include many common groups (racers, king, milk snakes etc) and notably all venomous snake species known to be dangerous (cobras, vipers, rattlesnakes etc).

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"> The Colubridae family is the most species-rich family within all of Serpentes. The old family Colubridae, a large group of advanced snakes (caenophidians) without front-fanged venom system, was demonstrated to be paraphyletic because Viperidae, Elapidae and Attractaspididae were nested within it. As such, the modern treatment that has been gaining consensus is to restrict the name Colubridae to a single monophyletic group, and elevate most of the subfamilies to a family rank. This is shown in the skeletal representation below, where the modern Colubridae family is shown to be monophyletic. Colubridae is now sister group to the clade consisting of Elapidae, Lamprophiidae and Homalopsidae. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"> The family Colubridae contains more than 85% of extant snake species, and is grouped into many proposed subfamilies. Although there is support for the monophyly of Colubridae, the relationships among the subfamilies are weakly supported. The clade of Natricinae and Dipsadinae is weakly supported (SHL value 68, of which >85 indicates a well-supported node) as the sister group to a clade made up of Sibynophiinae, Colubrinae and Grayiinae.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">families and subfamilies. Numbers at nodes are <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Shimodaira-Hasegawa-like [SHL] approximate likelihood ratio values, indicated if greater than 50. Image from Pyron et al. (2013), annotated by Lim Jia Ying. (Open access journal, also used with permission) || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Colubridae family is very diverse, with many proposed subfamilies. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The genus //<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> has long been classified under the Colubrinae subfamily, at the basal node, but there is weak support for this subfamily. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Three Asian arboreal colubrine genera //Ahaetulla, Chrysopelea//, and //Dendrelaphis// consistently form a strongly supported clade and are weakly placed as sister group to the rest of the Colubrinae which separately also form a strongly supported clade. It was thus inferred that future analyses might place the three genera elsewhere in Colubridae with stronger support. A subsequent study with increased sampling and inclusion of the genus //Dryophops// indeed found strong support for recognising these 4 genera as a new subfamily, using the name Ahaetuliinae.
 * [[image:PTS serpentes3.png width="640" height="563"]] ||
 * Skeletal representation of the 4161-species tree from maximum-likelihood analysis of 12 genes, with tips representing

Node support values >85 are considered as strong support. Image from Pyron et al. (2013), annotated by Lim Jia Ying. (Open access journal, also used with permission) || Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic estimate based on 10 concatenated genes, after running 1000 non-parametric bootstrap replicates. SHL values >85 are considered as strong support. Image from Figueroa et al. (2016), annotated by Lim Jia Ying. (Open access journal, also used with permission) || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.6px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Within the genus, the relationships between the 4 species are well-supported. However, a complete phylogenetic tree of all 5 species was not found, because the last species // Chrysopelea rhodopleuron // was not included in the analysis, or in any similar analysis.
 * [[image:PTS phylo tree v2.png width="508" height="942"]] || [[image:taxo4254/PTS phylo tree.png width="526" height="936"]] ||
 * Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic estimate using 12-gene concatenated matrix.

(Open access journal, also used with permission) || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">//<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea paradisi //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> was previously incorrectly listed in synonymy with //<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea ornata //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, until revalidation of Chrysopelea paradisi at species level by Smith in 1943. Indeed, the phylogenetic tree places these two species to form a sister group to the rest of the //<span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chrysopelea //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.
 * [[image:PTS chrysopelea.png width="480" height="154"]] ||
 * Image from Figueroa et al. (2016), annotated by Lim Jia Ying.

= F. Useful links = <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For Singapore-specific resources: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">[|Singapore's Snake Blog] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (Documents snake sightings in Singapore) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Herpetological Society of Singapore] (Documents herp sightings and offers free guided walks)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Handy emergency hotline and mobile applications: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|AVA's Advisory on Snake] (What to do when there's a snake indoors/ in urban areas) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Contact ACRES] (24hour hotline to rescue and relocate wildlife) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|'Snakes of Singapore' on iOS] (Useful Mobile Application, free download) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|'Snakes of Singapore' on Android] (Useful Mobile Application, free download)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> For more specific information: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Genbank records] (DNA sequences for use in scientific research) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">[|On captive individuals] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> (with rare photographs of reproductive behaviour)
 * = [[image:taxo4254/PTS thanks.png width="640" height="224"]] ||
 * = Webpage done by: Lim Jia Ying (2016). Contactable at limjyjy55@gmail.com ||