Harold Wong, age 12, of Guadalupe, California, for his question:

What is Chrysopelea ornata like?

Whatever else they say about him, everybody agrees that he is a most colorful character. In Malaysia and 'Indochina, he is known to the neighbors as the golden tree snake and those same neighbors insist he can fly. Herpetologists list his genus and species name as Chrysopelea ornata   and deny that he can fly because, obviously, he has no flappable wings. However, they agree that this remarkable snake can glide down from the trees with the greatest of ease.

Those who named them tried to convey the lavish coloring of these Asian tree snakes. Chrysopelea, the genus name, means golden or metallic yellow. If you guessed that the species name ornata means ornate, you pass with flamboyant colors. Some of these slim gaudy snakes measure five feet.

Suppose our local snakes wore similar outfits. Their separate scales would stand out like gems in elaborate embroidery. Imagine spiraling strings of jet black beads and pale moonbeam pearls. Entwine these in shimmering beadwork, bedecked with iridescent hues borrowed from crown jewels and peacocks. Add a few bands and buttons with an overall dusting of polished gold. If our common snake in the grass dared to don such an outfit, his foes would behold him from afar. So would his victims.

But in their own ecosystem, the golden tree snakes depend for survival on such garish color schemes. They live in high canopies of jungle tree tops. There the vivid greenery is gashed and splashed with gaudy blossoms and birds. Tropical sunbeams shoot fiery golden darts among the lingering drops of tropical rain. Naturally our ornate snakes are invisible in this ornate scenery.

Though these snakes are poisonous, most of them are harmless to all but their small victims. This is because the back,. rather than the front teeth, are venomous fangs. The victim is injected and paralyzed only after capture and on the way down. Considering this feature, plus the bejeweled scales, no doubt we are willing to rate these  snakes high on our List of Remarkables. However, their human neighbors claim that these golden wonders also can fly    but here we draw the line of credibility.

It is known to one and all that in the animal world, true flight requires flappable wings. This limits the genuine feat to the three Bs    birds, bats and bugs. The so called flying foxes and fishes glide through the air like daring trapeze artists. So do the flying squirrels, lizards and lemurs. Our so called flying snake actually  can glide from a 55 foot high bough and makes a feathery landing    without so much as brushing one scaly bead.

Observers on the spot report that the golden snake first coils himself over a bough. He launches himself down a sloping path and pulls in his underside, somewhat as you suck in your tummy to stiffen your posture. This enables his several hundred pairs of ribs to form thin flaps along his sides. These scaly ribbons curve slightly under his body to capture a cushion of air. This smooths the track, avoids a bumpy trip and enables the glamorous glider to land lightly    in silence and safety.