Dwarf Reed Snakes Cartwheel Away From Danger at Up to 12 Feet per Second, Study Finds

SARAWAK, Malaysia, Oct. 22, 2026 — Some tiny snakes in Southeast Asia have a getaway move that sounds made up: they do cartwheels. Now scientists have filmed it in detail, according to a study published Oct. 19 in the journal Current Biology and reported by Science News and Live Science.

The snakes are dwarf reed snakes, from a group called Pseudorabdion. When they want to get away fast, they skip the slither entirely. They curl up, flip and roll.

## How Fast Can a Snake Roll?

Pretty fast. In the study, the rolling snakes reached top speeds of about 1.7 to 3.7 meters per second, Science News reported. Live Science put the peak at 3.69 meters per second, or about 12 feet per second.

For a snake you could hide under a leaf, that's moving.

## How the Cartwheel Works

The research team, led by Yosuke Kojima of Toho University in Japan, filmed the snakes from multiple angles to break the move down step by step.

According to Science News, each roll starts with the snake's body bent into a C shape, head lifted and pointed the way it's going. The snake whips its tail out behind it, swings it up and over its head, and brings it down in front. When the tail hits the ground, the next roll begins.

The most surprising part, both outlets report, is the head. While the rest of the body spins, the snakes keep their heads fairly steady. That likely helps them stay in control instead of tumbling blindly.

## Which Snakes Can Do It?

The team tested three dwarf reed snake species: P. saravacense, P. collaris and P. longiceps. All of them rolled, according to both Science News and Live Science.

For comparison, the researchers also tested related reed snakes from a different group, Calamaria. None of those cartwheeled.

The snakes came from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo.

## Not the First Sighting, but the Best Look

Scientists first formally described this cartwheeling behavior in a 2023 study, both outlets note. That paper documented it in one species.

The new research goes further. It measures the speed, the steps and the head control, giving the first detailed look at how a legless animal pulls off a gymnastic move.

## Why It Matters

Snakes are known for slithering, so a snake that rolls is a reminder of how many surprises are still out there in nature. The researchers say these behaviors help explain how animals can do things their body shape would never suggest.

> What We Know
> - Who: Dwarf reed snakes (Pseudorabdion), studied by a team led by Yosuke Kojima of Toho University
> - What: The snakes cartwheel away from danger
> - Top speed: About 3.7 meters per second, roughly 12 feet per second
> - Trick: They hold their heads steady while rolling
> - Where: Sarawak, Malaysia, on Borneo
> - Published: Oct. 19, 2026, in Current Biology

Reported by Science News, Live Science. Study: Current Biology01108-5)

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