Chrysopelea ornata
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Chrysopelea ornata (Thai: งูเขียวพระอินทร์) is a species of mildly venomous opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) colubrid snake found in both South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is commonly known as the golden tree snake, ornate flying snake, and golden flying snake. Along with the other species in the genus Chrysopelea, the golden tree snake is unusual, as it is capable of a type of gliding "flight" (more of a controlled "throwing" or "falling") — mainly utilised during the pursuit of prey animals — from tree-to-tree. This action is also used to great effect for the snake to flee its own potential predators (such as birds or other reptiles). Currently, three subspecies are recognised. The snake's striking looks, and potential for gliding, have made it a coveted choice for captivity.
The species name ornata is Latin for "decorated or "ornamented", in reference to the ornate coloration. English: golden tree snake, gliding snake, ornate flying snake, golden flying snake, gold and black tree snake, flying tree snake
Hindi: kala jin. Sinhala: pol-mal-karawala, malsara. German: Gelbgrüne Schmuckbaumnatter, Gewöhnliche Schmuckbaumnatter. Bengali: কালনাগিনী (Kaalnagini... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skansen | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 2 | Brookfield Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Mysore Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Siam Serpentarium | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Snake Farm of Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Baltic Sea Science Center | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 9 | Bonanza Exotic Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Tree Snake sighting in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 56 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Tree Snake in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Kaeng Krachan National Park's wettest months, with about 210 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in December.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Tree Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Golden Tree Snake sightings, Kaeng Krachan National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam, about 20%) and Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden Tree Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kaeng Krachan National Park (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
