Cartwheeling snake? Video shows reptile’s unusual method to escape danger in Kedah

Researchers spotted a dwarf reed snake near Mount Jerai in Kedah, northern Malaysia and approached the creature, the study said. The ‘startled’ snake began ‘throwing the coils of its body into a loop and began rolling to try and escape’, researchers said. — Screengrab from YouTube/ARasky Outdoors

Anyone who approaches a snake quickly becomes aware of the scaly reptile’s defence mechanisms. Some snakes slither away. Some poise to bite the approacher. Others stay still and hide in their surroundings.

This snake in Malaysia has a more unusual escape strategy: it cartwheels, according to a study published April 5 in the journal Biotropica.