When they’re rolling, some snakes belonging to the Pseudorabdion genus can reach top speeds of 3.8 to 8.3 miles per hour, according to a new study

October 21, 2026 12:00 p.m.

Researchers investigated several members of the Pseudorabdion genus in the study including P. saravacense , shown here.

Yosuke Kojima

Dwarf reed snakes spend much of their time hiding under rocks, logs or leaf litter, trying to avoid being eaten. But when these small, slithering creatures feel threatened, they’ve perfected a unique method of fleeing from danger: cartwheeling.

Scientists first described this roly-poly behavior several years ago, based on observations of a snake spotted wheeling itself down a road in northwest Malaysia. Now, a different team of researchers says they have figured out how these diminutive snakes pull off the acrobatic feat.…