The dwarf reed snake can roll upwards of four times as fast as it slithers. Credit: Yosuke Kojima

Snakes will bite, rattle their tails, and even spit venom to escape danger. But of all the world’s species, southeast Asia’s dwarf reed snake ( Pseudorabdion longiceps ) relies on an especially fascinating escape method. When threatened, the diminutive serpent rolls away like a speeding wheel.

An adult dwarf reed snake typically measures less than 12 inches long, but its unique locomotive maneuvers allow it to retreat as fast one foot per second—about four times faster than it travels by simply slithering on the ground. It’s not a flailing getaway, either. The snake also easily rolls along a straight path while somehow keeping its head both stable and facing forward.

Dwarf Reed Snake Rolling In Slow-Motion

Now, researchers finally have a better understanding of how the dwarf reed snake achieves such dizzying acrobatics.…