A Secret & A Question

On my way home from the office today, I heard a story on the radio that had me wondering a number of things.

First off, I feel compelled to tell you my dirty little secret. I listen to NPR. Yes, that’s right, National Public Radio. Don’t judge.

I left the office early tonight because the weather was bad. It was the kind of icy-winter-weather-advisory bad that makes me want to snuggle up on the sofa. Not only was I listening earlier than usual, I was able to listen longer than usual. The programming was not what I normally get to enjoy.

The story was about snakes. But not just your run-of-the-mill snake, the story was about flying snakes. The researcher who was studying how these snakes fly was being interviewed. He said the following: “…the snakes leap from the branch of a tree and can fly up to 800 feet. They flatten themselves out from the back of their head to the start of their tail....”

Creepy, right? Snakes are bad enough, but now they will not only slither-up on you, they’re going to fly at you from as far away as 2 football field lengths.

But my first question is the leaping part. In order to leap, don’t you have to have legs, or at the very least, feet? And what’s this business of flattening themselves ‘…from the back of their head to the start of their tail.’? Aren’t snakes ALL tail?

I’m more than a little disturbed by all of this. So... if anyone has recently discovered snakes in their house... it may be a good idea to make a second story window wasn't left open. Apparently, the snake could have flown in.