Meet the snake clocking top speeds while rolling to safety

If we were asking you to think about how a snake moves, the chances are you'd probably think about one slithering along the ground on its belly.

But did you know there is a species of snake that actually rolls away to safety when in danger, in a style that's a bit like a cartwheel?

They're called dwarf reedsnakes and can roll themselves into a loop and travel at speeds much greater than if they slithered along on the floor.

Scientists in Japan say they have now worked out how they move in this way, without losing control.

Researchers at Toho University in Japan filmed the reptiles moving in this way from lots of different angles.

They found that they can travel at speeds of around nine miles per hour, which is around four times faster than on their bellies.

Despite moving at such speeds, these snakes managed to stay on a track just 20 centimetres wide.

Previous research has found that the snakes can't sustain this movement for very long, and will only travel in this way when extremely threatened.

The videos showed the team that the snakes don't just rotate their whole body as one.

Instead it uses a technique where one side of its body touches the ground at time, propelling the snake forward and twisting, before the other side takes over.

One thing the team did notice stays the same throughout however, is the direction the head is facing.

They believe this could be a main factor in how they maintain control while rolling away from danger.