A flying snake flattens out into a weird flying-saucer shape in order to get some extra airtime, new research suggests. 
 
 The findings, published today (Jan. 29) in The Journal of Experimental Biology, show that the Southeast Asian snake's flattened, UFO-like cross-section gives it the right aerodynamic properties for gliding. 
 
 "The shape is unusual," said study co-author Jake Socha, a biomechanics researcher at Virginia Tech. "You never find this kind of shape in any other animal flyer; you don't find it in engineered flyers. We didn't know if that was a good shape to have." [See Images of the Flying Snake] 
 
 Gliding animals 
 
 The weird flying snake, Chrysopelea paradisi, curls its tail around a tree branch more than 50 feet (15 meters) above the ground before launching upward, curling its body and gliding to the next tree limb. 
 
 While birds, and even humans using glider wings, are much better at their airborne maneuvers, the snake's performance compares favorably to that of other gliding animals, such as flying squirrels, lizards and even ants, Socha said. 
 
 Researchers already knew that the snakes curved around, splayed out their ribs to flatten their bodies and undulated as they were airborne — but they didn't know why. 
 
 "It looks like it's swimming in the air," Socha told LiveScience. 
 
 No snake-shaped planes 
 
 To answer one part of the puzzle, the team created physical models of the cross-section and tested them in a water tunnel, which, if set up properly, can have the same flow characteristics as air, Socha said. 
 
 It turned out that the flying saucer cross-section was a surprisingly good shape to take — much better than the cylindrical shape the snake would have if it didn't compress itself. 
 
 Compared to a more familiar flying shape, such as an airplane wing scaled down to snake size, "you'd find the snake is actually comparable," Socha said. 
 
 "The animal has figured out a solution to an engineering problem that we didn't even know we had," Socha said. 
 
 But don't expect to board a 747 with flying-snake-shaped wings anytime soon, as the shape wouldn't be nearly as aerodynamically effective at a plane's size and speed, Socha said. 
 
 Now, the team has to solve another mystery: why the snake undulates once or twice every second while gliding, Socha said. 
 
 Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter and Google+. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience. ||||| By Charles Q. Choi 
 
 Snakes don’t need to be on a plane to fly: Five species of the gliding reptiles can soar as far as 100 feet (30 meters) in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia. 
 
 Now scientists have discovered the secret behind how these snakes stay airborne—they twist their bodies into an S shape that resembles an alien’s flying saucer from the side. 
 
 Scientists already knew that flying snakes climb up trees by using ridges on their belly scales to help grip bark as they slither upward, and that when the animals glide downward, they undulate from side to side. (Related: “How Snakes Can ‘Fly.’”) 
 
 These movements—done by flexing the ribs—transform the serpent’s body into a totally aerodynamic surface, according to biomechanist Jake Socha, of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, and his colleagues. 
 
 As frightening as the idea of a 4-foot (1.2-meter) flying snake might be to some, these mildly venomous reptiles are harmful only to small prey. 
 
 Scientists don’t know how often or exactly why flying snakes fly, but it’s likely they use their aerobatics to escape predators, to move from tree to tree without having to descend to the forest floor, and possibly even to hunt prey. 
 
 Watch a video of a flying snake. 
 
 
 
 Clues From 3-D Printing 
 
 To learn more about the aerodynamic forces the snakes generate, Socha and his colleagues used a 3-D printer, which works by depositing layers on top of layers to create 3-D objects. (Related: “Improving 3-D Printing by Copying Nature.”) 
 
 The researchers printed a 3-D rod with a UFO-like cross section that mimicked the body of the paradise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradisi), the most proficient snake glider. The team then placed the rod within a tank of water that flowed over it, re-creating the air conditions the reptiles experience as they glide through the forest. 
 
 The scientists tilted the rod at various angles as water flowed over it at different speeds, and measured how the current moved the rod up or down. 
 
 The results, published January 29 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, showed that at most angles, the snake model’s undulating shape generated enough lift to account for the animal’s gliding ability. (See more snake pictures.) 
 
 The researchers added that real flying snakes appear to glide even better than their findings from the 3-D printed model would suggest. 
 
 They are now investigating what else these reptiles might do to boost their aerial performances. As it is, these serpents remain somewhat Unexplained Flying Ophidians. 
 
 Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter and Google+.
– Researchers think they've at long last solved, at least partially, the mystery of so-called "flying snakes." The five species of Chrysopelea don't actually fly, but they're impressive gliders, capable of sailing up to 100 feet through the air. Until now, scientists didn't know how they managed it, but now they think they do: As the snakes jump, they flatten out their ribs and contort themselves into an S-shape that sorta kinda resembles a flying saucer, LiveScience reports. "You never find this kind of shape in any other animal flyer; you don't find it in engineered flyers," says one study co-author. "We didn't know if that was a good shape to have." The snake's body develops a curve a little like an airplane wing, the BBC explains, which coupled with its undulating movements generates lift. Researchers hit on the discovery using 3D-printed models in tanks of water, National Geographic reports. But observations of real snakes indicate that they're even better gliders than the model suggested, meaning some aspect of their prowess remains unexplained. (In another recent animal-kingdom discovery, meet the world's new toad.)