Some tiny snakes in Southeast Asia have a surprising way to escape danger. They turn over and over, like a person doing a cartwheel. Scientists filmed three kinds of snakes from a group called Pseudorabdion. They found the snakes in Kubah National Park in Malaysia. The snakes were about 11 to 28 centimeters long. They often hide under leaves.
The team put each snake on a track 2.2 meters long. A light touch made the snake move. Cameras filmed from above and from the side. All the Pseudorabdion snakes rolled. The team also tested six snakes from another group, called Calamaria. None of those snakes rolled. The rolling snakes reached speeds of about 3.8 to 8.3 miles per hour.
The videos show each step. First, the snake makes a C shape with its body and lifts its head. It quickly moves its tail behind its body. For a short moment, its whole body leaves the ground. Then its tail swings over its head and lands in front. This starts the next roll. Its head stays fairly steady as it moves.
