New video footage will no doubt fuel the nightmares of both ophidiophobes and those who simply withdraw from the idea of a snake climbing to the nearest pole for a snack.
Researchers have found that the brown tree snake can twist its body into the shape of a lasso to climb a smooth, vertical pole in a form of locomotion never seen before.
Scientists say this lasso locomotion is only the fifth known mode of locomotion for snakes, along with crosswind, lateral ripple, rectilinear motion (where the rib muscles bend one at a time to look almost like a series of legs), and accordion (one Combination of gripping, pulling or pressing with different points on the body).
The discovery came as a surprise during a project in Guam where researchers were working to protect the nests of Micronesian starlings from snakes. Three foot long cylindrical metal baffles were assembled to prevent snakes from climbing onto the bird boxes.
It turned out that the tree snakes had an app for that.
"Initially, the baffle worked for the most part," said Tom Seibert, professor emeritus of wildlife biology at Colorado State University, in a statement. "Then all of a sudden we saw this snake that looked like a lasso around the cylinder and wiggled its body upward. We saw this part of the video about 15 times. It was a shock. Nothing I've ever seen is comparable." it."
Seibert is co-author of a paper on the discovery that was published Monday in Cell Press's Current Biology journal.
The lasso method is different from the concertina form of movement, where snakes usually grab a surface at two or more points on their body and then climb by pulling or pushing up. Instead, the researchers explain, the tree snake wrapped the lower part of its body like a lasso around the cylinder to create a single gripping area that it then used to push itself straight onto the smooth metal surface. The process is detailed in the video above.
"The snake has these little bends within the loop of the lasso that allow it to move up by moving the position of each bend," said University of Cincinnati co-author Bruce Jayne, adding that it is not exactly easy to play full lasso for the snakes. "Although they can climb in this mode, they are being pushed to their limits. The snakes take a long break to rest."
So next time you think the bird's nest on a light pole is safe from a snake attack, think again. Even a smooth metal bar could look like a ladder to a brown tree snake.
The researchers say the discovery could lead to new methods to better protect starlings and other birds in the future.
"I've worked on snake locomotion for 40 years and this is where we found a whole new way of moving," said Jayne. "Chances are, there is more to discover."
