Flying Snake, Tiny Snails Among Rare Species Found In Cambodia's Hidden Caves

Scientists have discovered a flying snake, along with some other never-before-seen species, in western Cambodian caves.

During a survey in Battambang province, researchers explored more than 60 caves across 10 hills between November 2023 and July 2025. The team was led by Fauna & Flora, an international wildlife conservation charity group.

The flying snake (Chrysopelea ornata), also known as the golden tree snake, is a special serpent capable of "flying" but not like birds. It doesn't have wings. Instead, it glides through the air, according to The Guardian.

When it wants to move from one tree to another, it spreads and flattens its body by opening its ribs, jumps off a branch, and moves in a wavy, twisting motion in the air. It looks like a shiny ribbon floating in the air. It is also found in vivid colours.

Apart from the flying snake, the team also found a bright turquoise pit viper, a few types of geckos, two tiny snails, and two millipedes.

Flora&Fauna

Flora&Fauna

Lee Grismer, an evolutionary biologist, said that during the day the team studied the area to understand the land, caves and surroundings, and at night they searched for animals like snakes and geckos because many of these creatures come out at night, reported CNN.

"We go to these separate places and analyse the DNA of the species, and we see how the experiment has run. Some look alike, some look different, and by analysing this, we can get an idea of what the driving forces are behind the way they evolve," he said.

Pablo Sinovas, a conservation biologist who led the research, said the team has only scratched the surface, with many animals and plants still hidden in Cambodia's forests and caves. "There is more exploration to be done," he said.

In Cambodia, Karst landscapes cover about 9 per cent of the country, around 20,000 square kilometres. A large portion of Cambodia's cave and rocky regions is still unexplored.