Golden Tree Snake

Southeast Asia Snakes

Snakes ~ Flying Snakes ~ Golden Tree Snake

The golden tree snake is the largest of the three flying snakes found in Southeast Asia. It is limited to the extreme north of Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos in Southeast Asia, though its range extends all the way up to India. This species is differentiated from Chrysopelea paradisi by its larger size and keeled patterning on each scale along the flanks and dorsum. The scales also range from being greenish to yellow, which include the labials and ventrals, while lacking the vivid colouration of the paradise tree snake.

The golden tree snake is common and can be found abundantly near human habitats bordering secondary or primary forest, such as villages, resorts and residential areas. It is very aggressive and will strike wildly on provocation. In the wild, they feed on lizards, frogs and possibly small mammals such as birds and rodents. Due to its abundance, this is the most often seen flying snake in the pet trade.