Odisha: Rare flying snake seized from man's possession

Officials from the Odisha Forest Department on Tuesday seized a rare flying snake from the possession of a boy in Bhubaneswar.

The said boy used to earn his livelihood by displaying the snake in public.

An official of the City Forest Division, Gopal Singh, told ANI, "We rescued the snake from a boy who is a minor, so we are investigating the case carefully."

"This colourful snake is called gliding snake and it's a rare species in this region. It is mostly found in the region of Sri Lanka and south India," he informed.

It's a crime under the Wildlife Protection Act to keep a snake at home, the official stated, while adding that the reptile will be released in a forest."

The recovered snake, a thin reptile, had patterns in black, light grey and rust-red on its body.

Flying snake is a common name given to the Chrysopelea species of the reptile. The name, however, is a misnomer as these snakes only use free fall and flexibility to generate lift and cannot actually fly. They mostly prey on frogs, birds, rodents and bats.