TREE AND SHRUBSLeaf it to me

Flying Snakes Subject To Department Of Defense Research

Snakes have a way of creeping into people’s nightmares. This is a fact that Indiana Jones would never dispute. What do the afraid do with flying snakes, then? Give them to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for research. There are flying snakes in southeast Asia. It’s Chrysopelea ornata, or the ornate flying snake. These flying snakes live in trees and have a propensity for major glide time. The Department of Defense is backing a Virginia Tech study to discover how the flying snakes accomplish this, reports the Washington Post.

Flying snakes defying laws

Scientists have observed that most animals with the ability to glide in air accomplish this with fixed wings or body parts that resemble wings, but these flying snakes do something entirely different. The snakes of the Chrysopelea genus appear to be slithering in midair. This creates an aerodynamic system which allows them to move quickly from the tops of 200-foot-tall trees to areas nearly 800 feet from the trunk of the tree. ”They become on long wing,” is how Virginia Tech researcher John Socha describes this phenomenon.

These snakes can even change direction

One aspect of Chrysopelea ornata’s flight still baffles scientists. After taking a flying leap then falling for a while to pick up speed before undulating, the flying snakes are actually able to turn within the air. DARPA is more interested in advanced military technology, and once this discovery had been found they took over sponsorship from the National Geographic Society. DARPA won’t reveal much about its research except the, “physical dynamics of snake flight,” are of great interest. It is known that the venom of the flying snakes won’t hurt a human, but it is potent enough to kill a small lizard.

The origin of the winged serpent

Scientists believe that birds evolved from dinosaurs – which were reptiles – so the concept of flying snakes might not be outlandish. Flying snakes may have actually impacted the way ancient humans thought. Mankind had been created by a feathered snake deity Quetzalcoatl in ancient Aztec mythology.

Articles cited

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112206308.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl

Chrysopelea ornata takes flight

youtube.com/watch?v=iwDAsJCB2Pg

Palestinian activists plant trees in memory of Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech VT Hokies 4 Pack Christmas Tree Ornaments $27.95

Virginia Tech Hokies Football Player Christmas Tree Ornament $12.98

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES CHRISTMAS TREE TOPPER LOT OF 2 (14″ TALL) $24.99

Virginia Tech Hokies Real Tree Camo Bottle Opener Keychain $4.95

Virginia Tech Hokies Real Tree Camo 3 x 5 NCAA Flag Banner Sold By Neoplex $23.95

Team Spirit Trees College Gift Decoration Collectible NCAA Football Alumni dorm $55.00

Virginia Tech Realtree Camo Stretch- Fit with Classic Bar Design Hat $20.99 NCAA Virginia Tech Realtree Camo Stretch- Fit with Classic Bar Design Hat…

NCAA Virginia Tech Hokies Real Tree Camo Bottle Opener Keychain $4.95 Virginia Tech Hokies Real Tree Camo Bottle Opener KeychainImportedOfficially licensed collegiate productApproximately 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ (including ring)Silvertone bottle opener keychainTeam logo and colorsSilvertone bottle opener keychainTeam logo and colorsApproximately 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ (including ring)ImportedOfficially licensed collegiate product…

RollerCoaster Tycoon Gold Edition: RollerCoaster Tycoon / Loopy Landscapes / Corkscrew Follies $9.99 This is a 2 cd-rom set! this item is supplied as 2 cds in sleeves. contains 3 best-selling games create the ultimate amusement park! product information rollercoaster tycoon gold edition allows players to design build and operate their own simulated theme parks with access to a complete set of design and construction tools that make even the wildest roller coaster easy to build and tune. Offers p…

The Importance of Being Earnest (Dover Thrift Editions) $0.01 Witty and buoyant comedy of manners is brilliantly plotted from its effervescent first act to its hilarious denouement, and filled with some of literature s most famous epigrams. Widely considered Wilde s most perfect work, the play is reprinted here from an authoritative early British edition. Recommended in Seton Grade 12, Seton English Grade 12Author: Oscar WildeFormat: 64 pages, PaperbackPubli…

A Pocket Style Manual $3.48 Covers clarity, grammar, usage, puntuation and mechanics, as well as common ESL problems and MLA and APA documentation. The book includes hand-edited examples that show students how to correct errors….

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS3 Professional in 24 Hours $6.99 Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS3 Professional in 24 Hours Phillip Kerman 24 Proven One-hour Lessons In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you will be able to create dynamic animations using Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of Flash from the ground up. Step-…

NCAA Resin Mascot Ornament …

NCAA 3 Pc. Glass Ball Ornament Set …